RIVERSDALE NEWS - A councillor and a municipal fieldworker from Riversdale are collectively facing 21 charges of corruption and a count of fraud after they were arrested yesterday, Tuesday 7 March.

Christopher Philip Taute (62) was arrested at his home and fieldworker Claudio Conradie (36) handed himself over to the police after he was notified about a warrant of arrest out for him.

They made their first court appearance in the Riversdale Magistrate's Court on the same day where both of them were released on bail of R10 000 each.

They will appear in court again on 12 April for a regional court date to be set.

The duo was apprehended following a lengthy investigation by the Hawks' serious commercial crime investigation team. It is reported that Conradie had been appointed by the municipality to recruit candidates for an internship on skills development.

"The candidates based in Riversdale and Still Bay were at the time given the stipend of R4 500. It was alleged that Conrandie instructed the candidates to pay R1 500 from the stipend to the account number belonging to councillor. Some candidates complied with the instructions and paid up to an amount of R35 000 into Taute's account," said a spokesperson for the Hawks Zinzi Hani.

One of the employees was also instructed to pay money into the same account, but the employee refused to comply with such an instruction and was then fired as a results on non-compliance.

Read more about this in Friday's South Cape Forum and online.

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