accuses DPP of abuse of power . . .
“In September 2024, the RFP made arrangements with Ntaote to supply them with fertilizers and agricultural inputs as part of an effort to assist him in avoiding prosecution. As part of the party’s strategy, Hon. Sello Hakane was appointed to oversee the distribution of these proceeds of crime among his party caucus and other MPs. This was executed, yet the DCEO did nothing about it.
“Given the complexity of these allegations involving RFP MPs, I have become an easy target. The Constitution prohibits discrimination—if I financed Ntaote’s operations and he collaborated with RFP MPs to obstruct his trial, I should not be made a scapegoat for political expediency should their plan fail.
“As MPs, we often have policy disagreements in Parliament, but I cannot be prosecuted by my own colleagues under the guise of a DCEO investigation to conceal their ulterior motives. This covert and deceptive approach fundamentally conflicts with the principles of constitutionalism. The key question is: why aren’t RFP MPs being prosecuted by the DCEO?” Mr Lekunya argues.
He further argues that the charges against him serve to shield RFP MPs from prosecution and, therefore, urged the court to bar the DCEO from proceeding with the case against him.
“I believe my prosecution is intended to indemnify RFP MPs. To me, this is a clear case of abuse of power by the DCEO, given their previous statements and positions, which now contradict the charges they are bringing against me. This inconsistency is throwing the administration of the DCEO into chaos,” Mr Lekunya states.
The DCEO has alleged that the elaborate web of corruption in the fertilizer procurement scheme had cost the government M109,184,650, with the tender costs intentionally inflated to maximise the illicit enrichment of those involved.
The docket provided detailed examples of suspicious financial transactions involving Mr Lekunya. On 23 December 2021, M5.5 million was transferred from Mr Ntaote’s FNB account into Mr Lekunya’s account.
Further transfers were made on 18 March 2022, amounting to M3.5 million, and on 12 April 2022, when M123,000 was sent to Mr Lekunya’s account. Other transactions include payments made to Mr Lekunya in March and May 2021, totaling over M1.6 million, from Mr Ntaote and his associated companies.
The allegations also extend to Ms Lekunya, who is reported to have received a total of M22,648,500 into her Stanlib investment account from Mr Ntaote and his companies.
Notable transactions include a payment of M3 million on 23 March 2021, another of M4,398,500 on 1 February 2022, and M12 million on 6 June 2022. Additionally, Ms Lekunya is alleged to have used funds from Mr Ntaote to purchase agricultural products, possibly to assist him in fulfilling the tender obligations awarded to his companies.
The DCEO further revealed that tenders were selectively awarded to companies linked to Mr Ntaote, such as Movement (Pty) Ltd, which is connected to Mr Lekunya’s Guardrisk Insurance Brokers company. Competitive bidding processes were bypassed, favouring selective tendering practices that ignored potential conflicts of interest. In awarding these tenders, Ms Nkone is accused of failing to disclose her personal relationship with Mr Ntaote, further undermining the integrity of the procurement processes.
Guardrisk Insurance Brokers was allegedly used to launder money paid to Mr Ntaote by the government. One such instance involves a transfer of M2.1 million from Guardrisk to Advanced Agriculture’s Post Bank account in October 2021, described as a loan to Mr Ntaote. After receiving funds from the Ministry of Agriculture in January 2022, Movement (Pty) Ltd repaid the M2.1 million to Guardrisk, along with an additional M100,000.
In another instance, M5.6 million was transferred through Guardrisk to purchase property in Somerset West, South Africa, under Pavilion Properties. According to the DCEO, this property was purchased on behalf of Mr Ntaote, with the funds originating from fraudulent tender payments.
