There is a strong possibility of conspiracy at a Bloemfontein garage where the alleged fraud of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) fleet manager, Jim Mohau Ntsasa (48), with a state petrol card was uncovered. This is according to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team which is probing at the fraudulent transactions with the state petrol card.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson of the Hawks, said the investigation is ongoing to build a watertight case and bring the culprits to book. “The prospect of collusion is due to the fact that transactions with the state petrol card were processed at one filling station in Bloemfontein. Investigations discovered that the suspect used the petrol card to refill diesel to his private vehicle at this specific garage. The investigation is to establish how and why the garage allowed the suspect to refill diesel on several occasions using a petrol card,” said Singo. He said the fraudulent transactions of diesel on the agency’s petrol card amounted to more than R100 000.
The elite police unit’s investigation culminated with Ntsasa’s arrest on Friday, 04 November. An investigation was launched in April this year after an audit conducted at the Bloemfontein-based DPP offices revealed irregular transactions.
Singo said the DPP’s vehicle for which the petrol card is designated, had been taken for repairs at a local garage at the time the alleged misuse of the petrol card. Further probing revealed the fraudulent transactions took place during the period of December 2020 until 31 October 2022.
Ntsasa was granted bail of R3 000 during a brief appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court last Friday. He is set to reappear in court on 9 December.
