THE Hawks are closing in on the general secretary of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), Walter Theledi, over R7-million paid to a service provider under what police believe to be dubious circumstances.
Sowetan has reliably established that Theledi has until Friday to make a statement regarding the case at the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court or the police unit will arrest him.
The Hawks are investigating about 38 transfers from the union's coffers to a bank account of a service provider, financial consultant Samuel Phaswane.
Phaswane was denied bail by commercial crimes court last month on the basis that he was a flight risk. And now the police want Theledi to answer why Phaswane was able to draw millions from the union's account.
Police have a witness who claims Theledi gave Phaswane his password to the union's bank account.
Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi said: "A subpoena has been issued to him [Theledi] through his lawyers. They have confirmed that he has [received] it."
Mulaudzi would not comment further on the case.
But a Hawks officer said they have a strong case. "We don't want to give him [Theledi] any extensions. We have been asking him to come since February. He must answer why he gave this guy [Phaswane] a password. There have been 38 transfers of money between 2013 and 2014," the Hawks officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The Hawks are working with the National Prosecuting Authority's asset forfeiture unit on the union's bank statements to trace how the millions were spent.
The R7-million paid to Phaswane is believed to be part of more than R100-million that a disgruntled group of union members calling itself "Save Our Samwu" claim hasn't been properly accounted for.
Contacted, Theledi said he was attending a meeting and referred questions to the union's spokesman, Papikie Mohale, who said he was not aware of the subpoena.
"If indeed there is such, he will make his presentation. There is nothing we are afraid of," said Mohale, who added that an internal task team had cleared the union's officials of any wrongdoing.
Theledi wanted over missing R7m
THE Hawks are closing in on the general secretary of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), Walter Theledi, over R7-million paid to a service provider under what police believe to be dubious circumstances.
Sowetan has reliably established that Theledi has until Friday to make a statement regarding the case at the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court or the police unit will arrest him.
The Hawks are investigating about 38 transfers from the union's coffers to a bank account of a service provider, financial consultant Samuel Phaswane.
Phaswane was denied bail by commercial crimes court last month on the basis that he was a flight risk. And now the police want Theledi to answer why Phaswane was able to draw millions from the union's account.
Police have a witness who claims Theledi gave Phaswane his password to the union's bank account.
Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi said: "A subpoena has been issued to him [Theledi] through his lawyers. They have confirmed that he has [received] it."
Mulaudzi would not comment further on the case.
But a Hawks officer said they have a strong case. "We don't want to give him [Theledi] any extensions. We have been asking him to come since February. He must answer why he gave this guy [Phaswane] a password. There have been 38 transfers of money between 2013 and 2014," the Hawks officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The Hawks are working with the National Prosecuting Authority's asset forfeiture unit on the union's bank statements to trace how the millions were spent.
The R7-million paid to Phaswane is believed to be part of more than R100-million that a disgruntled group of union members calling itself "Save Our Samwu" claim hasn't been properly accounted for.
Contacted, Theledi said he was attending a meeting and referred questions to the union's spokesman, Papikie Mohale, who said he was not aware of the subpoena.
"If indeed there is such, he will make his presentation. There is nothing we are afraid of," said Mohale, who added that an internal task team had cleared the union's officials of any wrongdoing.
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