UDM asks AG to probe Bay report

THE UDM has called on Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu to investigate the legality of a contract between Nelson Mandela Bay metro and an auditing firm’s draft report used to oust Mongameli Bobani as deputy mayor.

The municipality roped in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to investigate the alleged irregular appointment of litter pickers by Milongani Eco-Consulting in the public health directorate, in which Bobani also served as its political boss after the UDM formed a coalition government with the DA after last year’s municipal elections.

In the letter to Makwetu, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa wrote that Bobani was removed after mayor Athol Trollip and the DAfound the UDM councillor guilty of corruption based on “evidence” that only they had been privy to, which was allegedly contained in a draft report compiled by PwC.

Holomisa asked the AG to probe the legality of the contract between the Bay and PwC.

Holomisa further pleaded with the AG to take over the investigation of Milongani Eco-Consulting and establish if PwC followed the correct regulations in conducting “field work” leading to the draft report.

“In terms of the entire investigation when perusing the council minutes, no such inquiry had been approved, but yet the work had been commissioned.

“It begs the question: how was PwC appointed? Were internal audit processes even utilised, or is it a fait accompli that PwC is a ‘preferred service provider’ of the DA, and therefore council’s?

“We also ask that your office investigate this matter and verify the regularity of this government expend wrote Holomisa.

The UDM leader said when the PwC report was used to demote Bobani, the party had never seen it.

“The UDM finds it astonishing that PwC’s “draft report”, dated August 21 2017 somehow landed in the briefcase of a national leader of a political party, while the investigation was commissioned by the NMB metro.

“The DA has, to date, not explained why this was the case.

“The UDM only received a copy of the PwC ‘draft report’ later in August 2017, after we demanded it from the DA,” wrote Holomisa.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Africa Boso, a spokesman at the AG’s office, confirmed receiving Holomisa’s letter.

“We confirm receipt of the you inquire about.

“We have already responded to the writer advising him that the office is currently assessing [the] request and will respond directly to them once the assessment is complete.

“It is therefore premature to respond to the rest of your questions,” said Boso. — correspondence