Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on Tuesday said theft and money laundering at the National Lotteries Board amounted to R1.4 billion.
The corruption, which took place over more than five years, was again laid bare in Parliament by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
The SIU said it was expected to hand over a first report, related to the theft of R273 million meant for the country’s most vulnerable to President Cyril Ramaphosa by the end of October.
An old age home, a drug rehabilitation centre, and sports facilities were some of the projects started but many were never concluded.
That’s because of a well-oiled syndicate of colluding former board members, officials, and non-profit organisations, who siphoned off grants for self-enrichment.
SIU head Andy Mothibi said two more phases of investigations, worth R246 million and R905 million respectively, would continue well into next year.
“The investigation has identified the methods through which these corrupt individuals used to siphon money – the so-called modus operandi. Misuse of proactive funding provisions in the NLC Act and we have indicated that process needs to be reviewed,” said Mothibi.
With the R27 million property of former board chairperson Alfred Nevahutanda already seized, the SIU still said it had eight more properties within its sights.
It also planned to hand a list of 13 implicated individuals to the National Prosecuting Authority by October 2022.