Three Pretoria High Court officials have taken a preventive halt following allegations of fraud and corruption.
This is according to the Supreme Court Office (OCJ).
“The three officials who cannot be named at this time are suspects of an ongoing investigation by the South African Police Department’s Priority Criminal Investigation Bureau (Hawks), which is considering fraudulent and corrupt activities in court.
“Because the OCJ takes a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption, staff have been placed on a preventive halt to allow investigations to proceed without compromising,” the OCJ said in a statement.
A few days after Chief Mandisa Maya visited Mutasa High Court, news of the suspension arrives. This is said to encourage court officials to perform their tasks already within the scope of their work after reports that they are involved in a bribery scheme that requires payment from their advocates.
In this regard, internal and criminal investigations by South African police services are also open.
Read | Criminal Investigation of Corruption Claims in Mutasa High Court
At the time, the OCJ said it received light on the allegations in December 2024.
“The OCJ then worked closely with relevant law enforcement agencies to establish forensic investigations in line with the organization’s fraud prevention and anti-corruption policies.
“The department therefore took a careful approach to publish certain details to the media about the ongoing investigation, so that future legal processes and further investigations would not be at risk.
“The OCJ relies on all stakeholders in the fight against fraud and corruption, including the media, to act in a way that protects the integrity of legitimate complaints handling,” the office said.
