Controversial businessman Hamilton Ndlovu has been ordered by the Special Tribunal to 30 days imprisonment with the order suspended for 30 days.
Ndlovu scored personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders worth at least R170 million during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His legal troubles began when the Special Investigating Unit launched an investigation into allegations of corruption and the circumstances in which eight companies, directly and indirectly linked to Ndlovu, obtained contracts worth a total of R172 million for the procurement of PPE from the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).
The businessman was eventually hauled to the Special Tribunal by the corruption busting unit and ordered by the tribunal to pay back some R158 million in monies gained from the tenders.
Now, SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago says Ndlovu was found to have been in contempt of a forfeiture order handed down by the Tribunal two years ago.
“The order comes after the Tribunal found Ndlovu in contempt of the Tribunal’s forfeiture order issued on 7 June 2022, following the review proceedings related to the unlawful procurement of personal protective equipment initiated by the National Health Laboratory Service and the Special Investigating Unit.
“The imprisonment is suspended for 30 days to allow Ndlovu to comply with the Tribunal orders. Furthermore, a fine of R500 000 has also been imposed on Ndlovu, wholly suspended for one year on the condition that he is not found guilty again of contempt of the Special Tribunal orders during the period of suspension,” Kganyago said.
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The items Ndlovu was ordered to surrender include:
- Scania trucks
- Mercedes Benz G63 AMG
- 2020 Cartier gentlemen’s wristwatch with black leather bracelet
- 2020 Rolex Oyster perpetual white Roman numerals gentleman’s wristwatch with gold and silver bracelet Model 126233
The spokesperson said Ndlovu had “initially…cooperated but his failure to fulfil his obligations demonstrated wilful non-compliance and deception”.
“Furthermore, Ndlovu’s entities Akanni Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd and Zaisan Kaihatsu (Pty) Ltd applied to overturn the forfeiture order, and the application was dismissed with costs due to lack of valid defence and failure to prove that their defaults were not wilful.
“This ruling follows a series of civil litigation initiated by the SIU and the NHLS to recover assets acquired from the unlawful procurement of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
