LOTTERIES SOUTH AFRICA SIU checks lottery watchdogs after detecting fraudulent payments 2 years ago Samuel Post Views: 696 The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raided the offices of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) in Kimberley, Northern Cape on Thursday morning. This follows an explosive report by the SIU submitted to Parliament last week detailing collusion between NLC officials and purported non-profit organisations. It found that in a series of transactions, millions of rands at a time were funnelled from the NLC – funds which were meant to develop facilities like drug rehabilitation centres, old age homes, and youth empowerment facilities, but instead went towards purchasing cars and luxury homes. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told Fin24 that the raid on the offices of the NLC in Kimberley on Thursday morning were part of an advancing investigation into corruption at the commission. “Yes, we are at the moment in Kimberley and we have a warrant to search and seize documents here in Kimberly because of the allegation that we are looking into,” Kganyago said. Kganyago said the raid would not stop at the operations of the NLC but would include the private residences of implicated NLC officials and the questioning of those implicated. “We will call and question individuals because people are also checking the houses of officials in the commission in line with investigating the allegations that were made,” said Kganyago. During a Post Cabinet briefing, also on Thursday morning, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele welcomed the raid as “remarkable progress” by the SIU. “This will ensure the necessary steps can be taken to hold accountable persons or organisations implicated in the unlawful misappropriation of funds earmarked to benefit the poor,” said Gungubele. The NLC serves as South Africa’s only lotteries and sports pool betting regulator, but also serves as a grant funder for non-government organisations established in causes aimed at improving the lives of South Africans. National Lotteries Commission spokesperson Ndivhuho Mafela said the NLC is co-operating with the SIU investigation. “We have opened all our offices to enable the SIU’s investigation. We welcome the investigation as one of the checks and balances of state institutions. We have also availed our legal team to support their investigation, and they have interviewed employees. We will await the SIU’s report on the investigation and consider their recommendations,” said Mafela. During a meeting with Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Minister of Trade Industry and Economic Development Ebrahim Patel committed to dissolving the board of the NLC before its expiry date at the end of March. About Post Author Samuel I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. See author's posts SamuelI am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: corruption, NLC, South Africa Continue Reading Previous Sun International ups the ante with R6.8-Million Slots tournamentNext What makes South African football different to British football? More Stories LOTTERIES SOUTH AFRICA 10 biggest lotto payouts in South African history 2 hours ago Samuel ONLINE SOUTH AFRICA SOFTSWISS unveils South African iGaming market overview 1 day ago Samuel LOTTERIES NIGERIA Nationwide league signs N964m sponsorship deal, unveils technical partners 1 day ago Szarlot LOTTERIES Sammi Awuku elected Vice President of African Lotteries Association 4 days ago Szarlot ONLINE SOUTH AFRICA WA.Technology Unveils Next-Gen iGaming Solutions at BiG Africa Summit 2024 5 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA SiGMA Africa 2024: Reshaping South Africa’s igaming landscape 1 week ago Samuel EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA SiGMA Africa 2024: Explore SiGMA’s Cape Town summit 1 week ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA EGT Digital to showcase slots, instant games and betting platform in SIGMA Africa 1 week ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA SiGMA Africa’s second edition set to take place in Cape Town in March 2 weeks ago Iwo Bulski GHANA LOTTERIES Help us fight illegal gambling – Sammi Awuku to European Lotteries 2 weeks ago Szarlot BETTING SOUTH AFRICA Navigating the vibrant world of online sports betting in Africa 3 weeks ago Szarlot ONLINE SOUTH AFRICA Exploring the surge in SA’s online betting market 3 weeks ago Samuel Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.