THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said processes are underway to implement the forfeiture order against businessman Hamilton Ndlovu.
This after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed with costs an application to stop the auction of a luxury Bryanston house linked to Ndlovu.
“The High Court order, dated 1 September 2023, comes after the SIU and the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) accepted an offer of R7.1 million for the Bryanston home, as part of the implementation of investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover losses suffered by the State and NHLS,” said SIU spokesman Kaizer Kganyago.
The house was auctioned on 4 July 2023, following a final forfeiture order that the Special Tribunal confirmed in January 2023.
Zaisan Kaihatsu (PTY) LTD, whose sole director is Nokuthula Mokoena, attempted to block the auction in the High Court without success.
The application was dismissed with costs.
Daily Sun reported in June 2022 that the Tribunal ordered the flamboyant to pay back R158 million he received from the fraudulent Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts.
The Tribunal set aside the contracts and ordered that Ndlovu, and associated companies pay back R158 million with interest.
ALSO READ: PICS: Gatvol residents damage JMPD vehicles!
The Tribunal further ordered that assets and funds held by Ndlovu, Zaisan Kaihatsu, and Bugatti Security Services and Projects be forfeited to the State.
He challenged the forfeiture order, and the challenge was dismissed in January 2023.
“The events follow an investigation by the SIU in the affairs of NHLS, which revealed that eight companies, directly and indirectly, linked to Ndlovu had obtained contracts worth a total of R172 742 275 for PPE,” Kganyago said.
The SIU investigation established that the contracts were obtained by abusing the emergency procurement procedures that NHLS adopted to respond to the Covid-19 disaster during the first half of 2020.
He said the crime-busting unit obtained and analysed the bank statements of Ndlovu's front companies, other companies and individuals linked to him.
He said the analysis showed that, apart from an amount of about R15 million that appears to have been used for the purchase of PPE, the funds received from the NHLS were not used to obtain supplies of PPE to deliver upon the contracts to the NHLS.
“Instead, almost 90% of the funds flowed to Ndlovu for his personal use,” said Kganyago.
