Special unit to probe Gupta-linked Trillion scandal

THE Special Investigative Unit (SIU) has recovered R4 billion from irregular state tenders in the past financial year, and has pledged to probe the Gupta-linked Trillion scandal involving R1bn.

SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi hosted a provincial workshop on corruption with Premier Helen Zille, former public protector advocate Thuli Mandonsela, and other provincial and national departments.

“We are now investigating the Trillion McKinsey matter, and we will investigate it without fear or favour. As an agency of the state, we never ask for money. The money we recover, we give back to the state. In the past financial year we recovered R4bn. More, of course, can be done,” Mothibi said.

Earlier this year it was reported that Gupta-linked consultancy firm McKinsey wanted to return the R1bn fee for work done for Eskom, but the company wasn’t sure where to send the money.

Trillian – which is tied to the Gupta family – has been accused of being a front company for McKinsey to secure contracts worth billions of rand from Eskom and Transnet, as well as receiving the multi-million rand payments for little to no work done on the contracts.

Zille said corruption would thrive if voters didn’t hold parties and governments to account.

“All the red tape we face, is because Treasury wants to prevent corruption in government. This kind of madness has now caused (a situation where) we cannot make transfer payments. We transfer R1bn to non-governmental organisations to deal with issues like support for battered women and the aftermath of rape issues. But now we can’t transfer the money, because of the corruption,” Zille said. “I faced a six-month investigation for a R76 irregular expenditure. Because those are the rules.”

She also warned that the government should be wary of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment being used as a fig-leaf to hide corruption. She said corruption caused Broad Based Black Economic Impoverishment by only enriching a few.

“It enriches a few elite and impoverishes everyone else. Anyone who exposes this is seen as a racist. We must also look at laws that facilitate and legalise corruption,” Zille said.

Madonsela said: “We also need to start collaborating to stop corruption. Corruption is not done by one person alone. It is done by a network of people. We should collaborate against those who are corrupt.”