Arrest of former official marks a breakthrough in fraud investigation

A FORMER senior City of Tshwane official, Tienka Abbort, has been arrested and appeared in court in connection with a R11 million municipal funds fraud case.

- RAPULA MOATSHE

The city has hailed the arrest as a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the theft.

This comes three months after the city reported the suspension of a finance department employee amid internal investigations linking him and two colleagues to a R10m-plus fraud scheme that allegedly occurred between May 2021 and January 2022.

Two of the employees were arrested and appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court, where they were each granted R10 000 bail.

At the time, the city said the third employee had evaded arrest by hospitalising himself after learning of the impending police action.

The alleged scheme involved collusion between city officials and the public to manipulate user debit balances by transferring funds into municipal accounts controlled by the syndicate.