South Africa’s newly-appointed State Security Minister Bongani Bongo is now under investigation by the Hawks for alleged corruption.
Bongo is being accused of drafting contracts for the Human Settlements Department to purchase three patches of land in 2011 while he held the post of legal adviser to the Mpulmalanga provincial government.
The purchases of the said land were alleged to have been bought at an inflated price and did not follow proper procedures. The Hawks will then center their probe on the land purchases.
The investigation will also include the alleged purchase of Bongo of a luxury car. Bongo is being accused of buying said vehicle under his brother’s name, and using money made from the land transactions, making both deals interlinked, and both potentially anomalous.
Bongo is from Mpumalanga and prior to his appointment with the Human Settlements Department was a relatively unknown lawmaker. He has been an ANC Member of Parliament ( MP) from 2014. As member of the Parliament, Bongo served on various committees, including the one in charge of nominating a new public protector in 2016.
He does not have any prior experience in the executive department, and his appointment in October to the Executive by President Jacob Zuma marks his first.
It is not yet clear if he will step down or will be asked to at least take a break while an investigation involving him is ongoing.
Source:
http://www.enca.com/south-africa/hawks-reportedly-probe-new-state-security-minister-for-fraud
