Shaun Roos, the sole director of Cape Town construction firm Triple C Maintenance and Services (Pty) Ltd, has struck back against state corruption charges, claiming his arrest in a R1.4 million sting operation was the result of unlawful entrapment and extortion by public officials.
In a detailed affidavit submitted during his failed bail application, Roos argued that the state’s case is built entirely on false allegations fabricated by a former employee who claimed to be his half-sister. The employee, whom Roos alleges stole R49 million ($2.7 million) from his company before being arrested last year, reportedly acted as a whistleblower to divert criminal scrutiny away from herself.
The legal battle highlights the escalating tension between Cape Town’s municipal leadership and its private contractors. Following Roos’s arrest in March 2026, the City of Cape Town abruptly canceled all municipal contracts with Triple C which specializes in road resurfacing and stormwater infrastructure threatening the livelihoods of roughly 400 workers and numerous local subcontractors.
A ‘Manipulative’ Accountant and a R49 Million Theft
According to court documents, the dispute dates back to 2022 when the employee approached Roos, introduced herself as his half-sister, and persuaded him to hire her as an accountant. Roos claims she systematically manipulated the company’s books, ultimately embezzling tens of millions of rands.
“As she had access to my business it later emerged that she ‘stole’ approximately R49 million from my company,” Roos stated in his affidavit, noting that he subsequently initiated 17 criminal complaints against her, including impersonating a South African Revenue Service (SARS) official.
The employee was arrested in June 2025 and released on R100,000 bail. Roos alleges that her subsequent reports to the police were a direct retaliation tactic. “In an apparent attempt to avoid responsibility, [she]falsely alleged to the police that money had been given to her for the purpose of paying bribes,” Roos said.
Entrapment or Extortion?
The state contends that Roos offered a total bribe of R4 million to Cape Town City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo to halt a year-long forensic investigation into Triple C’s tenders, eventually handing over R1.4 million in cash during an undercover sting operation at a Somerset West shopping center.
Roos firmly denies the bribery narrative, flipping the accusation to claim that he was the one being squeezed by city authorities. He stated that the meeting was arranged by an intermediary under the guise of resolving massive outstanding invoices owed to his firm by the municipality.
“It was in fact he that was extorting from me, not the other way around,” Roos argued in the court filings, asserting that he was “tricked into the meeting” while his business was in a state of severe financial vulnerability.
Roos detailed that the City of Cape Town routinely withheld or delayed processing between R25 million and R30 million in legitimate invoices on a monthly basis, crippling his company’s cash flow and making it difficult to pay suppliers and staff.
Broader Fallout for Cape Town
The financial and operational fallout from the case continues to widen. While Roos remains in custody after being denied bail on charges of attempting to interfere with an active corruption investigation, police have extended their probe deep into the municipal administration. Earlier this month, the South African Police Service Commercial Crime Investigation Unit executed dawn raids on several properties, seizing 21 phones and nine laptops from municipal staff and a Mayoral Committee Member.
Roos maintains that his continued detention serves no public interest and actively jeopardizes his business. He argued that the abrupt freezing of Triple C’s operations places hundreds of working-class families and dependants at serious financial risk, noting that his own five immovable properties demonstrate he is not a flight risk.
The case is being prosecuted by a senior member of the Directorate for Public Prosecutions (DPP), with further court appearances scheduled to determine the lawfulness of the state’s undercover operation.