Question NW2471 to the Minister of Finance
16 September 2022 - NW2471
Mashabela, Ms N to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether he received a complaint alleging irregular appointments and exorbitant costs of investigations at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State; if so, what are the relevant details of the complaint; (2) whether any investigation and/or audit has been conducted into allegations of irregular appointments and exorbitant costs of investigators working for the specified judicial commission; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, on what date(s) was it conducted, (b) who conducted the investigation and/or audit and (c) what were the findings?
Reply:
1. No, National Treasury has not received any complaint alleging irregular appointments at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State.
The complaint that we received related to the escalating costs of the Commission, and hence the Minister of Finance requested the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services to audit the costs of the Commission, the investigators, and legal services costs. The proposed audit was not a forensic audit, rather a review to determine whether the costs incurred for investigators and legal services derived value for money. Such an audit review will inform the cost structure for any future Commission established by the President.
2. Details on the audit (which is still in process) can be sourced from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.