Former Chief Risk Officer at the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) Marubini Ramatsekisa has lost an application to reverse a Special Tribunal order to interdict his pension fund.
The Tribunal dismissed his application with costs, after the initial order was granted in December 2023.
The investigation against Ramatsekisa was launched after he allegedly defrauded the NLC of about R4 million in 2019.
The spokesperson for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Kaizer Kganyago, has welcomed the Tribunal ruling.
“Ramatsekisa allegedly orchestrated a scheme that resulted in the NLC losing approximately R4 million.
He resigned from the NLC after the lottery commission instituted disciplinary proceedings against him to allegedly avoid accountability,” said Kganyago.
Kganyago said the SIU sought to seek an interdict after Ramatsekisa resigned from the commission and immediately wrote to his pension fund administrator that he intended to withdraw his pension benefits, which have since been interdicted pending the investigations.
In addition, Kganyago said the SIU investigations revealed that Ramatsekisa was a key player and willing facilitator of an elaborate scheme to defraud the commission through pro-active funding.
“SIU uncovered evidence linking Ramatsekisa to losses of R4 million suffered by the NLC.
The SIU intends to institute civil proceedings against Ramatsekisa to recover damages suffered by NLC because of his conduct.
The SIU’s investigation revealed that on 20 February 2019, Ramatsekisa prepared a proposal for proactive funding and recommended that the acting Chief Operating Officer to approve pro-active funding of approximately R4 million to conduct a study that will assist in developing the Khoi-San language.
SIU found that of the R4 million, R2.2 million allegedly went towards purchasing property for a church named the Higher Grace Christ Redeemer Church,” explained Kganyago.
The SIU said it was authorized by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of NLC, the conduct of NLC officials and to recover any financial losses suffered by the state.