Sedibe: ‘Scopa is useless – the reason we went to police’

They want her to answer for fraud and corruption that occured while she was in charge.

The EFF says they decided to approach the cops and not the Select Committee of Public Account to lay charges against former legislature speaker Thandi Shongwe because this committee “doesn’t have teeth”.

“Instead it protects and covers up departments and corrupt officials, so to raise the matter with the Scopa is not going to make sense. The cops are better,” spokesman Collen Sedibe said.

“It is tantamount to reporting a crime to the very same criminal and expect the criminal to arrest, charge and sentence themselves,” he said.

Case number 6/8/2018 is registered with the police in Mbombela against Shongwe, legislature secretary Linda Mwale and finance officer Mbuso Mpika.

The EFF case is based on the findings of the Auditor-General concerning a R9,9 million tender and another, worth R19,6 million.

The R9,9 million was for the supply of photocopiers to the Mpumalanga legislature for a period of three years but the Auditor-General found that despite being disqualified during the bidding process for not having tax clearance certificate the officials quietly awarded the Junox 210 CC the tender.

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Frugacode CC was awarded the R19,6 million tender for security and data integrity, City Press reported, and the Auditor-General found that this company was not really supposed to get the tender because it used a SAP accreditation that was not registered under its name.

Police spokesman Colonel Mtsholi Bhembe confirmed the case against Shongwe, Mwale and Mpika had in fact been opened and was opened this month. He said they are busy looking at it.

Sedibe said: “The case was opened against Thandi Shongwe because she was an executive authority at the time of the fraud and corruption, meaning she should have acted against the secretary of the legislature who was reporting to her directly. Moreover, the Auditor-General also mentioned her in the investigation report.

“The EFF is very clear in its founding manifesto and on non-negotiable pillar number 7 that we want a corrupt-free government that is open, transparent and accountable to the people without fear or favour,” he said.

The legislature said they will allow the cops to do their work since the matter is not with Scopa.

(edited by MLM)

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