Loyiso Sidimba|Published8 hours agoSpecial Tribunal orders return of seized supercars amid SIU’s R2bn Tembisa Hospital looting probe

Some of the luxury vehicles seized from the Sandton home of alleged R2 billion Tembisa Hospital looting kingpin Hangwani Maumela by the Special Investigating Unit in October last year. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has downplayed the Special Tribunal ruling forcing it to return two Aston Martins, two Ferraris, and a Rolls-Royce seized during a simultaneous raid in alleged R2 billion Tembisa Hospital looting kingpin Hangwani Maumela’s luxury property in Sandton and a Mpumalanga luxury car dealership. Last Friday, former Special Tribunal president Judge Margaret Victor ordered that the five supercars – two 2023 model Aston Martins, a 2021 Ferrari 812, a 2018 Ferrari 488GTB and a 2023 Rolls-Royce – be released to the Mpumalanga dealership Omar’s Motor Den, subject to the conditions.

The vehicles were among assets worth nearly R900m seized following raids in Sandhurst and Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, in October last year after an interim order issued by the tribunal to preserve the assets allegedly unlawfully and irregularly paid out by Tembisa Hospital. In her judgment, Judge Victor said the release of the vehicles is subject to Omar’s Motor Den putting up security to the satisfaction of thecurator bonisand the security shall be the equivalent of each vehicle’s market value. “The market value of the vehicles shall be determined by an independent third party appointed by thecurator bonisin order to calculate the amount of security to be put up,” reads the judgment.

It added that in the event that Omar’s Motor Den wishes to sell any of the vehicles, thecurator bonismust first agree to such intended sale based on factors such as purchase price, the details of the person or entity, and to whom the vehicle will be sold. The security shall remain in place and shall only be released or adjusted by an order of the tribunal and Omar’s Motor Den must insure the vehicles to the satisfaction of thecurator bonis. The SIU stated that preserving the vehicles was necessary as the transactions transferring ownership to Omar’s Motor Den are suspect.

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In addition, the purported transfer of a company owned by a sister of Maumela was not valid since she, as the director, had no knowledge of the purchase of the vehicles nor the transfer of neither ownership nor payments into her company’s bank account. The SIU said some of the vehicles were never registered in the name of the sister’s company. One Aston Martin was allegedly purchased in October 2023 from the sister’s company for R2.5m, and that Omar’s Motor Den did all the necessary checks and then effected payment of that amount into the firm’s bank account and the vehicle was then registered in the dealership’s name on eNaTIS in the same month.

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