NPA staff slam travel claims by senior official

DISGRUNTLED prosecution authority staff have raised their voices over a senior official who chalked up R80 000 in travel claims in just six months.

Anthony Bean, the administrative head of the national prosecuting authority in Grahamstown, who is in a salary bracket of R1-million a year, claimed a R19 000 subsistence allowance in June and a further R15 400 in July for attending meetings in East London and Port Elizabeth. This is despite East London having its own administrative head.

Disgruntled NPA staff who spoke to the Daily Dispatch on condition of anonymity said Bean did not allow anyone else to claim because of austerity measures.

NPA spokesman Tshepo Ndwalaza said Bean’s claims were higher than those of others as there were “no other employees of Mr Bean’s rank charged with the same or similar responsibilities”.

The staff say these claims are in breach of the NPA’s subsistence and travel policy which states that “overnight accommodation must be limited to instances where the distance by road exceeds 500km [return journey]”.

Ndwalaza said the claims in question included accommodation and travel to other magisterial districts like Aliwal North.

The Daily Dispatch can reveal through an NPA source in Aliwal North that Bean has not worked in the area since February.

Said Ndwalaza: “We can confirm that your source of information is almost 100% correct.”

The Eastern Cape NPA division has three standalone offices: Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and Bhisho, which fall under the director of public prosecutions.

“There is an additional satellite in East London,” said Ndwalaza. “Each of the first three offices had a director of administration, all on the same level as Mr Bean. The director of admin in PE [Thembinkosi Mkalipi] left [at the] end of August 2015; Mr Bean assumed responsibility for that office. The admin director of the Bhisho office [Oshana Mshete] indicated his intention to leave in January 2017. Mr Bean assumed responsibility for the Bhisho and East London offices from then.”

Mshete’s last day in office was last Monday However, Bean did not start claiming the allowances in 2015, which is when the NPA says he first assumed responsibility for PE. Records show he was paid R113 104 in travel claims in 2012, R82 904 in 2013 and R68 306 in 2014, as well as R95 698 in 2015 and R102 221 in 2016.

Asked for comment Bean said: “Take it up with my director,” before hanging up the phone. —