MPUMALANGA – Hartman Industrial Equipment (PTY) Ltd, Charles Sydney Hendry Hartman (63) and Eulene Hartman (61) appeared before the Evander Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 17 May 2022 after they were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Secunda on the same day for fraud.
Allegations were reported anonymously to Sasol via Sasol Ethics Line that Hartmans Industrial Equipment (PTY) Ltd supplied Sasol (PTY) Ltd with less expensive actuators sourced from Omal Automation (PTY) Ltd instead of actuators sourced from Festo (PTY) Ltd as requested by Sasol. The allegedly supplied these actuators in Festo-branded packaging.
The Hartmans defrauded Sasol by supplying Omal actuators instead of agreed Festo actuators, charging the same price. Based on the outcome of an audit conducted by Sasol, it was discovered that the Hartmans has been supplying the actuators to Sasol from 2011 to 2017.
They had supplied 182 in the period mentioned and 88 of them were Omal actuators instead of Festo actuators. The Hartmans are the directors of the company, Hartman Industrial Equipment (PTY) Ltd. The accused have already paid back Sasol. They were summoned on 6 May 2022 to appear in court. On 17 May 2022, they appeared and the matter was postponed to 8 June 2022 for further investigation.
