The Hawks say investigators are pursuing more suspects in the long-running Tembisa Hospital corruption probe as they trace money through a network of companies and accounts.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale told eNCA on Tuesday that several investigations were running in parallel. She said the movement of funds through apparently legitimate transactions made it difficult to establish who knew the money was linked to alleged theft.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has already made a series of arrests across different parts of the case. The investigation concerns allegations that public money intended for the Gauteng hospital was diverted through irregular procurement and related transactions.
A 37-year-old doctor arrested after returning to South Africa appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday. He faces more than 100 counts, including fraud, corruption and money laundering, and was released on R200,000 bail, eNCA reported. The charges remain allegations and have not been proved in court.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the state did not oppose bail because the accused had cooperated with investigators. Any discussions about assistance to investigators or a possible agreement have not yet produced a court finding.
The Special Investigating Unit has separately described the Tembisa matter as involving multiple procurement networks. Its official investigation is authorised under Proclamation 136 of 2023, covering alleged maladministration, irregular procurement, unlawful expenditure and related conduct at the Gauteng Department of Health and Tembisa Hospital.
The SIU said in May that its work had identified a procurement network it referred to as Syndicate X and that evidence of possible criminal conduct had been referred to prosecuting authorities. Civil recovery and criminal prosecution are separate processes.
The Hawks have not disclosed how many additional suspects may be arrested or when further court appearances will take place. The investigation remains active.
