The Special Tribunal dismissed an application by non-profit organisation Inqaba Yokulinda to unfreeze its assets in a case linked to alleged fraud at the National Lotteries Commission.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was in February last year granted a preservation order against the NPO, an IT group called Unicus Solu(IT)ons and five individuals.
One of the implicated officials is Terrance Magogodela, who is still listed as the acting CEO of Athletics South Africa on its website. The other respondents are Buyisiwe Khoza, Tshepo Montsho, Jabulane Sibanda and Boitumelo Diutlwileng.
At the time, the SIU said that Inqaba Yokulinda had received R19.2 million in funding from the lottery between February 2018 and September 2019 to construct athletic tracks in North West and Mpumalanga. But only R4.2 million of the R19.2 million was used for its "intended purpose".
The SIU argued that, instead of being used for athletics, millions of rands went towards buying properties. Funds were also allegedly used for luxury "detox spa" visits and the purchase of expensive cars by Sibanda, the head of implicated IT group Unicus.
The respondents then applied for the preservation order to be reconsidered.
But earlier this month, the Special Tribunal dismissed the application with costs. A tribunal also rejected a related bid to strike out parts of the evidence used by the SIU to build its case.
"Beneficiaries of National Lotteries Commission grant funding have failed to stop the SIU from taking civil action against them," the unit posted to Twitter on Thursday.