Tembisa Hospital procurement scandal: 2 people to appear in court on corruption allegations

Two people are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Tuesday on allegations of corruption related to a procurement scandal at Tembisa Hospital, east of Johannesburg.

The pair - a hospital official and a Hawks officer - face corruption charges, after allegedly soliciting and paying a bribe to quash an investigation into the R2 billion scandal.

Whistleblower Babita Duokaran was gunned down after exposing widespread corruption at the hospital.

A provincial manager at Tembisa Hospital, Zacharia Tshisele, and Hawks' Sergeant Papi Tsie, currently out on R5,000 bail each, are expected to make another appearance at the Pretoria Magistrates Court.

Accused number two, Sergeant Tsie, allegedly contacted his colleague, Captain Kgwedi, on behalf of Tshisele and attempted to arrange a bribe to quash the investigation against Tshisele or turn him into a State witness with indemnity from prosecution.

Unknowingly, the Hawks then set up an operation during which Tshisele handed over the R100,000 with the understanding that the two Hawks officers would share the money.

But the Hawks intervened, resulting in the arrests of both Tshisele and Tsie.

Tshisele has since paid over R13.5 million of his ill-gotten gains to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

The SIU has uncovered corrupt payments linked to Tembisa Hospital officials and employees amounting to R122 million, allegedly to facilitate corrupt tenders at the Tembisa Hospital.