Free State asbestos tender | Ex Gauteng HoD Margaret-Ann Diedricks released on R100k bail

Margaret-Ann Diedricks (56), the former acting head of department (HoD) at the Gauteng department of human settlements, has been granted a R100 000 bail.

She appeared before the Bloemfontein High Court, where she faced charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

Diedricks was arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday in connection with the fraudulent activity, where she wiped-off R7-million from a supplier in the Free State government asbestos project.

Court heard how corrupt payments to Diedricks were made by controversial businessman Edwin Sodi’s company, Blackhead Consulting, one of two companies involved in the Free State’s R255-million asbestos audit contract.

Following the arrest, the Hawks unearthed a payment of R7.1-million that Sodi’s Blackhead Consulting made to a company called B2B Consultants in April 2015.

It was then alleged that, during her tenure as the acting HoD, where Diedricks forced her hand in Blackhead Consulting’s appointment for the R255-million deal, along with the late businessman Igo Mpambani’s entity, Diamond Hill Trading.

She is accused of using loopholes in procurement legislation to transfer Blackhead Consulting’s services from Gauteng to the Free State.

In October 2014, Diedricks vacated the position of being the department’s acting HoD and went to the national department for water and sanitation as the director-general (DG).

However, in space of two years, Diedricks then resigned from her job in July 2016.