Former ANC Northern Cape leader John Block was arrested by the Hawks on Tuesday and is due to appear in the Upington magistrate's court in connection with a R51m tender fraud charge related to a mental health hospital construction project.
The tender in question relates to the construction of a new mental health facility in Kimberley, which initially carried a budget of R290 million. However, the costs escalated to R420 million during Block’s tenure as the province’s roads and public works MEC.
Block was convicted of corruption and handed a 15-year jail sentence in 2015 for using his political influence to solicit bribes while serving as a Northern Cape official. It wasn’t until November 2018 that he began serving time, as his numerous appeals proved unsuccessful.
The former MEC of transport, roads and public works is incarcerated at the Upington Correctional Services centre. He was convicted of fraud, corruption and money laundering in 2015 and sentenced to a 15-year jail term, but only started serving time in 2018 at the Upington prison after multiple unsuccessful appeals in the superior courts, including the Constitutional Court.
Hawks Northern Cape spokesperson Nomthandazo Mnisi said: "It is alleged in 2003 Babereki Consulting Engineers CC was fraudulently awarded a tender as a structural civil engineer and project manager within the mental health hospital construction project.
Mnisi said Block’s arrest followed the recent arrest last week and the court appearance of a former head of department (HOD) for roads and public works and a company director in connection with the alleged dubious contract.
She confirmed that both the former HOD and Block face similar charges of fraud, while the company director is accused of corruption and money laundering.
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