The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape acknowledges the arrest of an assistant in the office of the NMB Ward 5 councillor on charges of fraud and corruption.
On Monday, 4 November 2024, the accused confessed that she had allegedly abused her position to sell jobs to people to the tune of R2000 per job opportunity. Ward 5 Cllr Terri Stander immediately placed her on suspension pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
Cllr Stander made it clear that she would be reporting these activities to the police.
Later that same day, Cllr Stander was informed that the assistant had allegedly been kidnapped by individuals angered over the false job promises.
Cllr Stander promptly reported both the alleged kidnapping and fraudulent activities to the Mount Road Police Station, which escalated the matter to the Hawks.
The assistant was safely returned on Tuesday, 5 November, and subsequently arrested by the Hawks on charges of fraud and corruption.
The Hawks have also confirmed that a docket has been opened based on Cllr Stander’s report of the ward assistant allegedly selling jobs.
We firmly reject any allegations of the councillor’s involvement, as there is no evidence to support this. Cllr Stander took immediate action and has supported the police investigation from the outset.
The DA calls on the Hawks to investigate this matter swiftly and to ensure those found guilty are held accountable.