The Scorpions arrested 12 people in three provinces on Friday in connection with the multimillion-rand municipal workers’ loan corruption case.
Scorpions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said seven people handed themselves over at the unit’s offices in Cape Town, four in Gauteng and one in Kimberley.
They will appear in magistrate’s courts on Friday afternoon on charges of corruption, he said.
More arrests will follow next week.
Two of those arrested are former chief executives of micro-lender Gilt Edged Management Services (Gems), and the rest officials of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).
Gems itself this week pleaded guilty as a company to two counts of corruption, and agreed to pay a R5-million fine and about R60-million in compensation.
It allegedly bribed Samwu officials and a Democratic Alliance politician, Kent Morkel, to ensure it got business from the union, despite the fact that its loans were more expensive than Samwu’s preferred provider. — Sapa
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