An Eastern Cape businesswoman was released on bail R2,000 bail following her arrest for alleged tender fraud.
Anele Mapisa, 41, the director of Bright Future 1283 Trading (Pty) Ltd, was arrested on Wednesday by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks).
She was charged with fraud, forgery, uttering, and theft.
Explaining the case, Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Colonel Avele Fumba said the charges date back to 2020.
"A tender was issued by the Amatola Water Board for hiring water tankers, with a budget of R250, 000 per supplier.
"Bidders were required to provide proof of tanker ownership and relevant supporting documentation to qualify."
He said investigations revealed that on August 27, 2020, Mapisa, acting on behalf of Bright Future 1283 Trading, allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to secure a contract worth over R200,000.
"Further investigations revealed that the water tanker listed in the bid documents belonged to a different company with a name distinct from Mapisa’s company.
"Despite this, Bright Future received the payment. It was further discovered that on the same day, R140,000 of the funds was allegedly transferred to the company that owned the tanker."
Fumba said the matter was referred to the Hawks by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for further investigation and the Hawks confirmed the irregularities.
Mapisa appeared in court the same day she was arrested.
"The case is postponed to 28 January 2025 for transfer to the East London Specialised Commercial Crimes Court."
IOL News