Two SANDF Generals Nabbed for Fraud [Archive]

Gunship

11th Nov 2002, 08:21

Link (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,1113,2-7-1442_1283337,00.html)

Two generals nabbed for fraud (apparently SAAF according to a radio station in SA)

Johannesburg - Two senior defence force generals have been arrested for fraud and forgery of qualifications by the Scorpions detective unit in Gauteng early on Monday morning.

One of the generals was arrested in a pred-dawn raid in Sandton and the other in Midrand. Both men were part of the non-statutory forces.

According to Scorpions director-general Gerry Nel, the two joined the army in 1996 with allegedly false tertiary qualifications.

They initially were appointed as lieutenant colonels and were recently promoted to brigadier generals, he said.

Nel, who was working under direct instruction from the force, said one of the men worked in the army's legal department and the other in the human resources section.

He said the arrests were just the tip of the iceberg and further investigations were underway.

Gunship

12th Nov 2002, 06:54

News 24 (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,1113,2-7-1442_1283586,00.html)

Lizel Steenkamp and Erika Gibson

Pretoria - The integrity of the SA National Defence Force has been dealt a severe blow with the arrest of two generals on Monday in connection with fake qualifications.

Brigadiers general Ernest Zwane and Petronella Mari were arrested in early morning raids by the Scorpions for allegedly forging their tertiary qualifications.

They were released on bail after appearing in the Pretoria Regional Court. Zwane's bail was set R5 000 and that of Mari on R4 000. The case was postponed to February 18 next year.

Gauteng Scorpions chief Gerhard Nel said information pointed to similar problems in other state departments.

"The problem could be bigger than we think. I don't think it's just the defence force."

He believed it was the extent of fraud which had motivated the SANDF to call in the elite unit.

Nel wouldn't say which deparment would be next in their line of fire. "We are investigating all possibilities. For now we focus on the defence force. More arrests will follow."

Raids

Detectives held a simultaneous pre-dawn raid at four addresses on Monday.

Zwane, director of the SANDF's legal support service, was arrested in his Sandton home.

At the same time, the Scorpions woke Mari of the military medical service up in her Midrand home.

While Zwane and Mari were arrested on charges of fraud and forgery, detectives were combing through their respective offices in Pretoria and Centurion for more information.

Late last year the Scorpions arrested a colonel and an ex-colonel on charges of fraud of about R20 million of the SANDF demobilisation fund. The fund was established to compensate MK and Apla members who were not absorbed into the SANDF.

Zwane and Mari, former MK cadres, had been appointed as lieutenant-colonels in 1996.

Nel said the SANDF had since laid a charge that the two hadn't spoken the truth about their tertiary qualifications.

Zwane became general in 2001 after completing an abridged senior staff course. It is alleged that although he has no legal background, his appointment was approved on the highest level.

He is responsible for the legal department's budget of R56 million. Rumours of nepotism also cloud the case.

Spokesperson Colonel John Rolt said the SANDF would consider their possible suspension in accordance with procedure and the seriousness of the charges.

Opposition parties on Monday called on the SANDF to declare who had approved the two appointments and to explain the lack of proper investigation into the authenticity of qualifications.

Adriaan Blaas of the NNP added that while the SANDF budget had to be supplemented by R180 million for human resources, incompetent people were filling the posts.