/ 31 August 2006

NPA raids KZN municipal offices

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) investigators were on Thursday searching 34 premises in the Pietermaritzburg area for alleged fraud in the Msunduzi municipality.

The buildings being searched included the offices of the municipality’s officials, business premises of service providers and residential properties of some council workers, NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said in a statement.

The municipality has been plagued by allegations of fraud, theft, corruption and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Income Tax Act.

He said about 60 members of the Directorate of Special Operations, a division of the NPA commonly known as the Scorpions, were conducting the operation. — Sapa