The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says a recent Special Tribunal ruling ordering the return of luxury vehicles linked to businessman Hangwani Maumela will not derail its corruption case against him.
Maumela has been flagged by investigators as a leader of one of the syndicates implicated in the more than R2 billion Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal, which was uncovered following disclosures by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran.
The vehicles were seized as part of the SIU’s asset-preservation efforts, but the Tribunal ruled they should be returned after finding that they were registered in the name of a motor dealership.
The order, however, includes strict conditions to ensure the assets remain available should the state succeed in its recovery claims.
The SIU has stressed that the ruling does not affect the merits of its case against Maumela, nor its broader efforts to recover funds allegedly lost through unlawful procurement at Tembisa Hospital.
