FORMER BUFFALO CITY METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY CLERK ARRESTED

EASTERN CAPE – The East London Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team arrested Andile Mhlawuli (35) for alleged fraud and money laundering on Thursday, 22 April 2021.
It is alleged that during the period between April and August 2014 Mhlawuli who was employed as an admin clerk at the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality fraudulently enriched himself at the expense of service providers.
His modus operandi was he would identify projects where tenders had been awarded but there were retention funds that had not been claimed by the service providers. The accused would then prepare payment packs with falsified documents purporting to be those from service providers. The funds would then be deposited into bank accounts belonging to his friends and relatives for withdrawals.
The East London Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team was tasked to investigate the case. The unyielding investigations linked Mhlawuli to several fraudulent transactions which prejudiced the municipality cash to the value of over R140 000.
Mhlawuli was arrested on 22 April 2021 and appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court where he was granted a R1000 bail. The case has been postponed to 23 April 2021 to set a trial date.