NPA+in+corruption+scandal,+Sunday+Times

Sunday Times (Front Page), Johannesburg, 23 April 2006
=NPA in corruption scandal=




 * //Prosecuting authority’s management team faces charges of tender-rigging//**

and DOMINIC MAHLANGU**
 * WISANI wa ka NGOBENI, DUMISANE LUBISI

NATIONAL Prosecuting Authority (NPA) chief executive Marion Sparg and her entire executive management team face charges of tender-rigging and corruption.

All members of the tender committee of the NPA, under which the elite corruption-busters the Scorpions fall, will also be hauled before a disciplinary inquiry this week for tender misconduct. The committee has powers to handle tenders of up to R5-million.

Ironically, one of the people facing charges is the head of the NPA’s Integrity Management Unit, the statutory watchdog set up to investigate the conduct of the Scorpions and NPA employees.

Sparg, a well-known former Umkhonto weSizwe guerrilla, is in charge of all corporate and financial services in the NPA. She reports to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli.

The alleged transgressions took place during the era of the previous national director, Bulelani Ngcuka. Sparg and her team face nine allegations, ranging from financial misconduct and misappropriation of funds to contravening the Public Finance Management Act.

According to an internal government document obtained by the Sunday Times this week, Sparg and her officials would be “jointly and severally charged with failure to comply” with government tender regulations.

The document indicates that draft charges were drawn up as early as September last year by the office of Justice Director-General Menzi Simelane. The charges were submitted to the office of the State Attorney.

Senior government officials yesterday told the Sunday Times that the implicated officials would be formally charged before the end of the week.

The charges against them will include causing the government to incur irregular expenditure by creating or filling posts which were not advertised or evaluated.

The NPA management has been under investigation by the Public Service Commission since 2004. The commission ordered the probe after it received anonymous complaints accusing Sparg and other senior NPA officials of corruption.

The commission, which was given office space at the NPA’s headquarters in Silverton, near Pretoria, to conduct the investigation, looked into the awarding of multimillion-rand tenders to companies and individuals close to NPA officials.

The commission has also investigated allegedly irregular appointments made by senior managers in the NPA.

An audit by Auditor-General Shauket Fakie last year also found that “tender processes were not always followed for the acquisition of certain assets” in the NPA.

The commission’s investigators submitted their report to Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla, whose department oversees the NPA, in March last year.

The findings of the investigation have not been made public.

The Sunday Times has established that the investigation found irregularities in the awarding of lucrative tenders to companies and individuals close to the NPA’s chiefs.

The probe fingered Sparg, her deputy Beryl Simelane, human resources head Elize Roos, senior finance manager Khaya Makinana, senior procurement manager Vallabh Bhika, and the head of the Integrity Management Unit, Dipuo Mvelase.

Bridgette Mohlana, executive finance manager, and Alta Terblanche, head of information systems, resigned before the investigation was completed.

Terblanche was implicated in the awarding of an R8-million tender to a company partly owned by the fiancé of Sparg’s sister.

Sparg was also investigated for her role in the awarding of a tender to advise the NPA on transformation issues, worth R3.2-million, to a businessman with whom she had prior dealings.

Justice spokesman Kaiser Kganyago yesterday refused to comment on the matter and referred inquiries to the NPA.

NPA spokesman Makhosini Nkosi also refused to comment about the allegations against Sparg and her officials.

However, Nkosi said the NPA’s core business of prosecution and investigations would not be affected.


 * From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A179770**

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