SAPS: Internal audit report to reveal what transpired in Matlala-linked tender

Police said an internal forensic audit report due for release next week will reveal what transpired in the R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender scandal.

The tender was irregularly awarded to Medicare24, a company owned by alleged crime kingpin Vusumuzi "Cat" Matlala.

According to police, three months into the company’s contract, serious flaws were flagged, prompting an investigation into the tender.

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On Wednesday, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was served with summonses by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to appear in court in April on charges related to the contract.

On Wednesday, 16 accused persons, Matlala and senior police officers, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates Court on graft charges.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said two police officials have been suspended and another served with papers in relation to the contract.

She said Masemola, who is the third national commissioner to face criminal charges in the last 30 years, initiated investigations into the awarding of this tender and terminated it when it became clear Matlala's company didn’t have the capacity to do the job.

“Cat Matala should not have been awarded that contract, looking at his criminal history. I mean, looking at 18 cases, the CIT, housebreaking, armed robberies that he was involved in previously, and the current cases that we are investigating him for."

She said a forensic report due for release next week is expected to provide a detailed account of how the system failed to prevent the awarding of such a high-value contract.

Mathe added that Masemola has established a committee to tighten internal controls and strengthen vetting processes before tender adjudication, to prevent similar cases.