Perly accused back in jobs
Government officials who allegedly used their positions to run a major perlemoen poaching syndicate in the Western Cape are back at work.
This comes less than a week after eight of the nine Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) officials arrested in February were released on R20 000 bail by the Cape Town Regional Court.
Sources close to the investigation into the officials said yesterday the officials had returned to work.
Western Cape legislature economic opportunities committee chairwoman Beverley Schafer said: “Just this morning I received news that Daff officials who were arrested on charges of racketeering‚ corruption and defeating the ends of justice are back in uniform and on duty.
“If the Daff truly cared about the protection of our province’s coastlines‚ it would have immediately suspended these officials and investigated the matter further. What the department is essentially saying is that it condones the involvement of its own officials in the illegal abalone trade.”
The state alleges the individuals turned the office in Gansbaai‚ which is responsible for stopping gangs of perlemoen poachers from raiding the coastline‚ into a criminal entity.
Deputy director-general for fisheries Siphokazi Ndundane said yesterday the individuals were supposed to have been suspended shortly after their arrest in February.