President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of serious maladministration at the premier’s office in Free State.
The investigation, which mainly focuses on the previous provincial administration, will look at allegations as identified by the auditor-general in reports titled Report of the Auditor-General to the Free State Legislature on vote no.1: Department of the Premier dated July 31 2019 and October 27 2020.
According to the SIU, the investigation will focus on the office of the premier’s annual report for the 2017/2018 financial year concerning the approval, allocation, or payment of bursaries, including travel, accommodation and stipends to persons who were not entitled or were given in a manner that contradict the applicable manuals, policies, procedures, prescripts, instructions, or practices of the premier’s office.
“The probe will also look into payments made in respect of student accommodation, including the causes of such maladministration and any related unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the office of the premier or losses suffered by the office of the premier or the state,” said the SIU.
Furthermore, the crime busters noted that they will also probe any irregular, improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of the premier’s office or any other person or entity relating to matters that fall within the investigation.
“The proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 1 January 2018 and 9 June 2023, the date of the publication of the proclamation or before 1 January 2018, and after the date of the proclamation that is relevant to, connected with, incidental to the matters or involves the same persons, entities or contracts investigated.”
The unit said it is empowered to institute a civil action in the high court or a Special Tribunal in its name to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during its investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration.
