Question NW812 to the Minister of Public Works
11 April 2016 - NW812
Kohler-Barnard, Ms D to ask the Minister of Public Works
Why was the investigation into alleged criminal activities in the Independent Development Trust conducted by the Auditor-General of South Africa rather than the SA Police Service?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works
The investigation into alleged irregularities at the Independent Development Trust (IDT) was not conducted by the Auditor-General of South Africa. The IDT Board of Trustees appointed Gobodo Forensic and Investigative Accounting (PTY) Ltd. (GFIA) to conduct a preliminary investigation into the allegations of irregularities in the procurement of goods and services.
A preliminary report, which was presented to the IDT Board of Trustees, revealed serious irregularities in the supply chain management processes within the IDT and further recommended that certain significant findings required further investigation.
The Board then took a proactive step and referred such an investigation to the Specialised Audit Services Unit (SAS) within the Office of the Accountant-General at the National Treasury. This Unit conducts all its investigations in collaboration with all the law enforcement agencies of Government, including the South African Police Service under the auspices of Anti-Corruption Task Team.