In a shocking new twist, the murder of 30-year-old Armand Swart has been linked to corruption involving inflated Transnet tenders.
Story summary:
- New developments reveal the murder of Armand Swart may be tied to corruption at Transnet.
- Swart’s engineering company exposed inflated prices in Transnet tenders weeks before his death.
- Three suspects, including a police officer, have been arrested and are awaiting trial.
Armand Swart died over rotten corruption at Transnet
Swart, an employee of a Vaal-based engineering company, was gunned down in April while waiting for the gate at his workplace to open.
He was shot 23 times by assailants in a brutal attack that now appears to be connected to tender fraud.
Swart’s company had recently blown the whistle on massive price gouging in a Transnet contract.
According to News24, they revealed that a simple railway component, a spring sold by the company for R3.20, was resold to Transnet for R152.
The engineering firm exposed that what should have been a R25 000 purchase had ballooned into a contract worth more than R1.2 million, marking a price inflation of over 4500%.
While initial reports suggested Swart may have been a victim of mistaken identity, recent information indicates the possibility that his murder was a direct result of the company’s decision to expose this fraudulent activity.
Reports indicate that the hitman was paid R1 million to carry out the assassination.
What is the latest in Swart’s murder case?
The investigation into Swart’s murder has led to the arrest of three suspects, including a police officer, and Warrant Officer Michael Pule Tau (54).
Alongside Tau, Dany Floyd Mabusela (46) and Musa Kekane (36) were charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of unlicensed firearms.
The suspects were apprehended following a police operation that traced them to Bramley, Johannesburg, shortly after the attack.
Authorities recovered the getaway vehicle, a Hyundai i20 with fake license plates, as well as several firearms, including an unlicensed AK-47 and ammunition.
The case remains ongoing, with bail applications scheduled for the coming weeks.
