Two top officials at the Dihlabeng Local Municipality in Bethlehem face a string of serious charges relating to fraud, money laundering and corruption at the municipality.
The pair, Busa Petrus Molatseli (54) and Tseki James Tseki (42), briefly appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrates’ Court on 13 June relating to alleged fraud and corruption at the municipality.
Tseki is the executive mayor, while Molatseli is the former municipal manager. Charges range from theft, fraud, corruption, forgery, money laundering and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act. The two men are accused of allegedly defrauding the municipality of R250 000. According to the state, the money in question went towards Molatseli as back pay.
Molatseli was initially employed by the municipality on a 13-month contract from 1 July 2016 until 31 July 2017. The contract was not renewed.
Phaladi Shuping, provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said evidence gathered revealed that Molatsedi was paid his capped leave of 83 days at the end of his 13-month contract.
He said the municipality then appointed LI Mokgatlhe as the acting manager for four months while on a recruitment process to appoint a full-time municipal manager. The recruitment culminated with Molatsedi reappointed to the position effective on 1 December 2017, for a period of four years.
“His employment contract was until 30 January 2021. The state alleges that on 14 December 2021 Tseki, as the executive mayor, prepared and signed a memorandum for the payment of back pay of R250 000, which was paid to Molatseli. The back pay was for the period Mokgatlhe was acting as the municipal manager,” said Shuping.
“The state alleges that Tseki and Molatseli worked in furtherance of the common purpose to defraud the municipality of R250 000.”
The fraud case is under investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit.
Lt. Col Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for this Free State Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, said a warrant for the suspects’ arrest had been issued in May, following in-depth investigations. Tseki and Molatseli were arrested on 12 June.
The case against both suspects has been postponed to 10 August, and they were released on bail of R5 000, each.
