Five Emfuleni Local Municipality employees are expected in court on Monday following their arrest in Vanderbijlpark on Friday. The suspects, from the Revenue and Electrical departments, face charges of fraud, theft and tampering with essential infrastructure. They were arrested by the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Police allege the employees took money from residents whose electricity had been disconnected. They allegedly posed as authorised municipal officials and offered to reconnect electricity in exchange for payments.
Clients were reportedly instructed to deposit different amounts into the suspects’ bank accounts.
Emfuleni Employees Accused Of Illegal Electricity Reconnections
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the suspects allegedly reconnected electricity without municipal authorisation. The alleged actions resulted in illegal electricity use and financial losses for the municipality.
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“The suspects are further alleged to have unlawfully reconnected electricity supplies without the authorisation of the municipality, resulting in the illegal use of electricity and financial losses to the municipality.”
Gauteng PKTT Continues Municipal Crime Investigation
The Gauteng PKTT investigation forms part of ongoing efforts to tackle criminal activities involving public officials and essential infrastructure.
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Mathe said the task team would continue working with relevant stakeholders to hold officials accountable for allegedly abusing their positions for financial gain.
The investigation is continuing, with SAPS confirming that more arrests are expected.
