Athletics SA boss may face prosecution for Lottery corruption

Athletics South Africa boss Terrence Magogodela used Lottery grant money to pay lawyers and transfer costs for a house he bought. He said it was a “loan” from IT company boss Jabulani Sibanda.

But Magogodela repaid the money to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which is tasked with recouping funds lost to corruption. Yet Magogodela could still face criminal charges. The SIU has sent a docket on the dodgy R15-million grant involving him and several others to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) with a recommendation for criminal prosecution.

But Magogdela’s lawyer says his client “has co-operated fully with the NPA and expects to be a witness for the state”.

A senior Athletics South Africa (ASA) executive, after repaying nearly R400,000 he had used to pay for personal expenses from a dodgy multimillion-rand Lottery grant, could still face prosecution.

Terrence Magogodela, ASA’s acting Chief Executive Officer, played a key role in an allegedly corrupt R15-million lottery grant to Inqaba Yokulinda, a non-profit organisation (NPO), meant to oversee and manage a project to build an athletics track in Kimberley.

Magogodela, ASA’s chief financial officer at the time, was listed as the project coordinator of Inqaba Yokulinda in the grant application submitted to the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), even though he was an official of ASA.

Inqaba Yokulinda paid R10-million of the R15-million grant to Unicus Solu(IT)ons (Pty) Ltd, owned by Jabu Sibanda, which was to be responsible for developing the athletics track. But rather than use the money for the track, Sibanda spent millions on things unrelated to the project, including settling personal debts.

A letter endorsing the project, supposedly signed by ASA President Aleck Skhosana, was included in the Inqaba Yokulinda application. But ASA spokesperson Sifiso Cele previously told GroundUp that Skhosana had refused to sign the letter endorsing the project as the request “did not conform to our relevant policies”.

Money from the grant was also used to cover legal and transfer duties on a house Magogodela bought in an upmarket Centurion housing estate.

Magogodela repaid almost R400,000 to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which on 25 April said it would apply for a court order to lift a Special Tribunal preservation order over his house.

“However, the settlement agreement does not constitute a full and final settlement between the parties. SIU remains entitled to join Mr Magogodela in any future proceeding and claim appropriate relief from him.” – the SIU said.

The athletics track was eventually completed by Inqaba Yokulinda, who took over the management of the project after the NLC allocated a further R4.27-million in 2019.

Source: groundup.org.za

About Post Author