KWAZULU-NATAL – The Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court has sentenced Mex Dhladhla (47), to twelve years direct imprisonment for fraud on Tuesday following a lengthy trial.
Dhladhla was arrested by the Hawks’ Pietermaritzburg Serious Commercial Crime Investigating unit in 2015 along with accomplices, Nokwazi Chule (32), Hlengiwe Hlela (34), after investigations revealed that they defrauded the Department of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) by illegally transferring R7.5 million into a bank account held by Imvusa Trading where Dhladhla was a sole signatory.
These funds were meant for development at a local community centre in Bulwer which falls under Ingwe Municipality, but ended up in Dhladhla’s account where a series of withdrawals took place within a two weeks period.
Investigations further revealed that some of the money was transferred to Chule and Hlela who were working for the department at that time. The case against Chule and Hlela who remain out on bail has been postponed to the 10th of April 2019.
