Lukhanji FM station manager and sole director of Innova Motorworks (Pty) Ltd, Andrew Christopher Joe, was found guilty of fraud by the Komani Regional Court on November 14.
Hawks provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, stated that this conviction followed Joe’s act of defrauding the police after they had sent a vehicle to his garage for repairs.
“In 2023, an SAPS Ford Ranger broke down in Aliwal North and was sent for repairs through WesBank. Innova Motorworks (Pty) Ltd, under the RT46 Government contract, was assigned the job. Joe, the company’s sole director, submitted an invoice claiming he had installed a new engine, turbo, and injectors,” Fumba said.
Joe is also the station manager for the Komani-based community radio station, Lukhanji FM.
The case was investigated by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Crime Investigation unit, in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority.
Joe was found to have defrauded the police of R160 000.
Fumba explained that a post-repair inspection revealed the vehicle still had its old engine, the turbo had merely been sandblasted, and the injectors had not been replaced.
“Following investigations conducted by the Hawks, Joe was charged with fraud. On November 14, the Queenstown (Komani) Regional Court found him guilty. The next day, he was sentenced to five years of suspended imprisonment, on the condition that he repays WesBank over R150 000 with 11.75 percent interest by February 28, 2025,” Fumba said.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, commended the teams for their dedication and hard work in bringing Joe to justice.
