Former agriculture director arrested in major travel fraud scheme
A former senior official in the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has appeared in court after being arrested by the Hawks on allegations of fraud, forgery and uttering linked to an alleged fraudulent travel claims scheme.
Funeka Goci-Malusi, who previously served as Director responsible for Quality Assurance and Administration within the department, appeared before the KuGompo Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape on Thursday. She was arrested earlier the same day by members of the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation unit in KuGompo.
The court released the 58-year-old on bail of R1,000.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the case comes after the department detected suspicious travel-related expenditure and irregularities in travel authorisation procedures.
