Agency to probe graft of millions

THE STATE Security Agency (SSA) is probing more than 860 cases of corruption in which millions of rand are involved against government employees.

This is contained in the Public Service Commission report, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Most of the cases came from public entities and the SSA has been instructed to finalise the corruption cases.

The investigation by the SSA covers the period from 2014 to last year.

In the report the PSC said during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years most of the cases investigated related to fraud and bribery against government officials.

The government officials were investigated for alleged fraud and bribery, mismanagement of state funds, criminal conduct, unethical conduct, identify document theft and appointment irregularities.

They also faced charges of selling RDP houses, procurement irregularities and abuse of government resources. Despite the high number of cases two years ago, that number dropped last year.

The report said during the 2014/15 period. There was a total of 867 cases investigated by SSA, but in the following financial year. The number dropped to 668 cases.

“During the 2014/15 financial year, a total of 49 officials were charged with misconduct relating to corrupt activities,” said the PSC report.

“The disciplinary hearings against 29 officials have not been finalised,” it said.

The report said sanctions have been imposed against some of the officials whose cases have been finalised.

Five officials were fired from government, two were given fines, 10 officials were issued with final written warnings, two officials were criminally prosecuted and one official resigned before the disciplinary hearing was finalised.

In the 2014/15 financial year, the government was able to recover more than R104 million from the officials found guilty of corruption.

The report also found that 20 officials were charged over corruption during the 2015/16 financial year.

Disciplinary

“The disciplinary hearing processes against 13 officials have not been finalised,” said the report.

During that period, five officials were fired from the public service and two employees were given final written warnings.

During the year under review the government managed to recoup R69.6m from the people convicted of corruption.

The PSC report also raised concerns that some senior officials in government didn’t make their financial disclosures as required by the law.

It said out of 44 directors-general in the national departments, only 35 submitted their financial disclosure forms by two years ago.

“The PSC is concerned that there are still instances where designated officials submit their financial disclosure forms on time to their respective executive authorities who then delay in submitting the forms to the PSC,” it said.

It added ministers had an obligation to submit disclosure forms on time and to report on action against directors-general who failed to make financial disclosures.