The Asset Forfeiture Unit was dealt a heavy blow on Tuesday after the Gqeberha high court discharged a provisional restraint order against properties owned by various entities linked to a host of businesspeople embroiled in a multimillion-rand fraud and racketeering case.
The multimillion-rand fraud and racketeering trial involving Nelson Mandela Bay businesspeople, high-ranking officials and politicians accused of siphoning off money meant for the Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) will return to the Gqeberha high court in five months.
An investigation initiated by the National Treasury into how much had been paid to the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality for the implementation of the Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) is what led to forensic investigators uncovering an alleged scheme by high-ranking officials, municipal employees and business people.
Volumes of exhibits, including nine lever-arch files containing bank statements of those allegedly involved in the multimillion-rand Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) fraud case, set the tone for proceedings in the high court on Monday.
Not only brothers in name, they were also brothers in arms in business in an alleged “well-oiled” machine set up to pilfer millions of rand meant to be used for the Bay’s beleaguered Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS).