SIU freezes pension of former CEO of water board

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been granted an interim order to freeze the pension of former chief executive officer of the Lepelle Northern Water Board Phineas Legodi.

The crime-fighting unit is investigating the failed R3bn Giyani water project, which Legodi presided over and was awarded to LTE consulting in 2016.

The board’s Polokwane offices were raided as part of the investigation, which has so far found serious maladministration and malpractice. The probe also uncovered failure to comply with the Public Finance Management Act, the board’s supply chain management regulations, failure to heed professional engineering advice, poor project management, poor financial management and poor record keeping.

Legodi resigned from his post a few weeks ago.

“The investigation that SIU is conducting on the Giyani Water Project is at the advanced stage where we are doing a value for money exercise. On the 25th November 2019, the SIU embarked on a search and seizure in the Lepelle Northern Water Board office,” SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said in a statement.

“The SIU would like to assure the public that we will not leave any stone unturned in our endeavour to recover money that might have been misused,” he added.

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