Net to close in on the big fish

This comes in the wake of Justice Minister Jeff Radebe's target - to be achieved within three and a half years - of convicting 100 of those who accumulated more than R5m through illicit means. According to a Business Day report, Special Investigating Unit head Willie Hofmeyr said that the target had forced the agencies involved - the SIU, the Hawks and prosecuting authorities - 'to focus on the bigger fish in the corruption terrain'. The report says the Department of Justice plans to introduce dedicated courts in each of the provinces to deal with fraud and corruption cases, according to spokesperson Tlali Tlali. The congestion in courts and long delays in finalising cases has been identified as one of the weak links in the fight against state corruption. The report quotes Tlali as saying the specialised courts would be introduced in a phased approach but that the government was determined to have dedicated resources in place in order to respond to cases effectively. Full Business Day report

The assassination of anti-corruption officials in Mpumalanga should be the subject of a judicial commission of inquiry, according to Congress of the People (COPE) president Mosiuoa Lekota. A report on the IoL site quotes Lekota as saying: 'There appears to be an existing pattern of systematic elimination of anti-corruption officials in Mpumalanga.' The report notes that he said a commission of inquiry would give direction to whistleblowers, and comfort to the families of victims who knew there was a chance for them to finally learn the truth. Full report on the IoL site

Fraudsters dipping into the public purse are a growing problem in the UK, with government overtaking the financial services industry as the main victim of financial crime which hit record levels in 2010. The Daily Telegraph reports that, according to the KPMG Fraud Barometer, fraud committed by company managers was the fastest growing area, up 30% in value to £441m against the previous year. Tax fraud, money laundering and complex cases involving new technology all increased in the year. According to KPMG many of the cases were directly linked to the tight economic conditions. Hitesh Patel, KPMG forensic partner, is quoted in the report as saying: 'In a year of austerity measures implemented by government, tax increases, rising unemployment, and significant structural change it is hardly surprising that the long fingers of the fraudster have reached into the public purse.' The total number of fraud cases reported in the UK last year rose 16% to 315, worth just under £1.4bn - the barometer only records cases worth in excess of £100 000 that have been heard or are due to be heard in the High Courts. The report said the real level of fraud, undetected and unprosecuted, is almost certainly a significant multiple of this figure. Full report in The Daily Telegraph Barometer

Determined fraudsters are also keen on exploiting the latest technological trends, reports The Independent. Patel commented: 'The online universe has opened up a whole new world for innovative fraudsters. While credit card and data theft remain common tools from which they are able to profit, the need for ever-more effective techniques to combat fraud grow greater by the day. Unfortunately, anti-fraud measures do not always keep pace with professional criminal activity.' Full report in The Independent