South Africa arrests 7 suspects after murder of corruption buster

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Police in South Africa have arrested at least seven suspects in connection with the murder of a provincial chief financial officer, an official said on Friday.

Babita Deokaran, 53, had blown the whittle on a multi-million-dollar corruption scandal in the health department.

Col. Brenda Muridili, a police spokeswoman, said the suspects were arrested in an operation conducted by multiple security agencies in the Gauteng province. She said police recovered two firearms and two vehicles after the arrests.

Deokaran was gunned down on Monday outside her home, located south of Johannesburg, after she dropped off her daughter at school.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) confirmed that she was one of its witnesses in the 300-million-rand ($20 million) protective personal equipment (PPE) tender fraud investigation in the Gauteng Health Department.

The Gauteng province includes the country’s largest city Johannesburg and capital Pretoria.

Deokaran was laid to rest in Phoenix in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.

“There is a possibility of more charges being added to the charge of murder when the suspects appear in court soon,” the police spokeswoman said.