Seven people arrested in connection to Babita Deokaran’s murder

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Police have confirmed that seven suspects were arrested in connection with the murder of Department of Health’s official, Babita Deokaran.

The 53-year-old chief director of financial accounting was gunned down in Winchester Hills as she was returning from dropping off her child at school.

She was taken to hospital where she later died. She was a key witness in the Special Investigating Unit’s probe into the Gauteng multi-million-rand Personal Protective Equipment scandal.

After receiving information, police conducted a takedown operation at the suspects’ hideouts in Johannesburg. Police spokesperson, Brenda Muridili, says during the arrests, the police recovered two firearms and two vehicles.

“The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Khehla Sitole has welcomed the arrest of seven suspects linked to the murder of an official from the Department of Health on the 23rd of August 2021. The case docket has been transferred to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation for further investigation. There is a possibility of more charges being added to the charge of murder when the suspects appear in court soon.”

Concerns over the protection of witnesses and whistleblowers: Mandy Wiener

The Special Investigating Unit says Deokaran was a witness in one of the unit’s investigations into corruption in the awarding of tenders for personal protective equipment.

Charges relating to financial misconduct regarding the awarding of PPE contracts in the City of Johannesburg, are expected to be served against two senior managers of the city’s property management entity.

The SIU found irregularities in the awarding of contracts to four companies which had been appointed by the Johannesburg Property Company to render emergency deep cleaning and sanitizing services at the Joburg Metro Centre and taxi ranks last year.

The irregular procurement is said to have cost the city of Johannesburg over R18 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

 

a year ago