THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has saved government more than a billion rand in the last financial year.
The anti-corruption agency investigated and took many companies to court to recover money paid unlawfully.
On Thursday, 24 March, the unit said in a statement: “The SIU has made significant recoveries through marrying quality investigations with civil litigation. R1,8 billion was recovered between April 2020 and last March.”
Matters worth more than R70 billion are still before the Special Tribunal and the high courts, while about R7,169 billion worth of contracts and administrative decisions or actions were set aside or deemed invalid.
Some of the high profile cases the unit is pursuing are against alleged fraudster Hamilton Ndlovu, former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and media company Digital Vibes.
The agency wants the Special Tribunal to set aside the R172 million PPE tender awarded to Ndlovu and his front companies by the National Health Laboratory Service.
It demands that Hlaudi pays back R2 million following his 2016 decision to make payment of R50 000 once-off to a least 53 music legends, including Abigail Kubeka, Blondie Makhene, Mara Louw and the late Steve Kekana for their role in the anti-apartheid struggle.
SABC spent R12,5 million in the project.
In the Digital Vibes matter, the unit is fighting to recover R150 million siphoned from the Department of Health.
According to the statement, there are 10 former government officials whose pensions have been frozen pending finalisation of civil action instituted by the SIU.
