Former City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Malusi Booi appeared alongside seven others in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, on charges of fraud and corruption linked to a tender case within the City.
Booi appeared alongside Abdul Kader, Mohammad Amod, Randal Mullins, Brenda Mullins, Thuli Imgih, Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Lona Ndoda, and Siphokazi September.
The group faces 15 charges, including several counts of corruption, racketeering, intimidation, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The alleged leader of the 28s, Ralph Stanfield, and his wife, Nicole Johnson, appear absentia and are linked to the case.
It is the state’s case that the group was working as an enterprise and identified Stanfield and Johnson as the main role players in the enterprise since January 2019 until March 2023.
“Accused 1 to 10 were employed and/or associated directly or indirectly with the enterprise’s affairs and that their role of employment and/or association, and their conduct or participation in the conduct of the Enterprise’s affairs, were, in essence, to obtain tenders from the City of Cape Town,” the document read.
Some names have been withheld in the documents at this stage.
In the documents, it also alleges that Booi abused his power and had influence over other high-ranking officials to do and obtain documentation and award tenders which would benefit Booi, Stanfield, and Johnson.
Police said the arrests form part of a protracted investigation into alleged fraudulent and corrupt activities in the City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Directorate.
The police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the Western Cape SAPS’ Commercial Crimes Unit detectives along with the Anti-Gang Unit’s Organised Crime Investigators arrested a suspect on Monday.
Booi was arrested at his home in the Eastern Cape on Monday.
Some of the corruption charges are alleged to have linked Booi, who was arrested in the Eastern Cape on Monday, to the alleged leader of the 28s, Ralph Stanfield.
“Investigators swooped on a location in the Eastern Cape where they arrested a 46-year-old suspect on Monday evening. The arrest follows an investigation initiated by commercial crimes detectives that saw the investigators descending on the City of Cape Town offices in March 2023 and seizing a number of items as part of their probe,” Potelwa said.
She said that as the investigation continued to unfold, another team from the same policing units also arrested three suspects in Johannesburg earlier on Tuesday.
As the takedown was under way, an additional four suspects were arrested simultaneously in Cape Town.
Last year, City Manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo blacklisted Johnson’s companies after alleged links between her companies and officials within the human settlements department were found.
Booi was suspended last year by Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis after his offices were raided
The GOOD party welcomed Booi’s arrest.
GOOD’s City of Cape Town Councillor and Caucus Chairperson, Suzette Little said the investigation into these allegations at the Human Settlements Directorate has been ongoing for some time, with officials raising alarm as far back as 2020.
“While it was encouraging to see the City taking swift steps, GOOD has remained concerned about the ongoing secrecy around the allegations and investigation when this case involves public funds. At the time, GOOD had requested the Mayor [Hill-Lewis] to provide clarity regarding this matter; however, very little was provided,” Little said.
The matter has been rolled over until Friday, September 13, for the continuation of the bail application.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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