‘Scootergate’ firm pushes back at SIU
Special investigating unit ignored facts put to them, says Fabkomp MD
King William’s Town company Fabkomp, the fourth respondent in the Special Tribunal’s so-called “Scootergate” investigation, is fighting back by accusing the special investigating unit (SIU) of ignoring facts.
Brian Harmse, MD of Fabkomp, which won a R10m Eastern Cape health department tender to supply the offroad motorcycle and sidecar clinics, said the SIU had got several facts wrong.
One was mixing up the two companies that had tendered, he said.
“Only two companies tendered. The other company was not a manufacturer and could not build the machines.
“This was clearly indicated in the Eastern Cape health department documents [which Dispatch has seen],” he said.
“The SIU mixed up the companies and assumed that for Fabkomp to have won the tender we must have either bribed [people] or had friends in high places.”
Harmse said he contacted the SIU several times to point out the errors, but the unit went ahead.
SIU special investigator Glenn Muller acknowledged Harmse had spoken to him, but refused to give details as the case was ongoing.
Senior investigator Wayne du Preez also declined to comment and referred the matter to the SIU’s spokesperson Luvuyo Ndunyana, but Dispatch’s telephone calls to Ndunyana went unanswered.
Harmse said: “As I told the SIU, I have opened my books and records on the tender. I will answer every question at any time.
“These accusations and the resulting negative publicity have taken a massive toll on our 160-person workforce, my family and me. I have briefed my attorney and senior counsel, and I will be in touch with the SIU, which had ample opportunities to get its story right, but chose to ignore my advice on where they had erred.”
He said the SIU was “stamping on an innocent company and we will prove it”.
The Dispatch has seen Harmse’s documents and listened to his recorded conversations.
He said until Friday last week the media and politicians did not take his calls.
“I believe they were convinced we were ‘pandemicpreneurs’ and would possibly be facing jail time. Once certain facts were revealed to the tribunal that did change.”
He said shortly after the tribunal hearing, his phone started ringing with requests for interviews.
He said he and health MEC Sindiswa Gomba were caught in a “political tussle”.
“One tweet called the rugged 200cc scrambler motorbike and sidecar clinics ‘rickety scooters’. What baffles me is that only a few curious government officials who inspected our factory ever phoned me — until after the tribunal hearing, that is.”
He said there was a misperception the product was experimental.
“There are over 3,000 of our motorcycle clinics and ambulances in underdeveloped countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Afghanistan, Angola, Malawi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Gambia. Our local customers already include some health departments.
“International clients include Unicef, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Salvation Army, the UN Population Fund, USAID, DFID, Save the Children, UNDP and the Gates Foundation.”
He said another misconception was he owned Fabkomp.
“DEmPower LD, which is black-owned [100% are people with disabilities and 54.55% are women] hold 60%. I hold 40%. We are fully BBBEE compliant,” he said.
He said any accusations about price gouging due to the pandemic had been answered. Health had requested, and received, a full breakdown.
“Excluding VAT, a fully equipped clinic costs R82,249. Every cent is accounted for, right down to the 10% profit.”
The motorcycle costs R25,689. The sidecar, accessories, labour, clinic equipment, training and a four-year maintenance contract come to R56,560.
“Many Eastern Cape areas are inaccessible to normal 4X4 ambulances, which cost R1m each, so is it better for the people to have 10 vehicles at R10m that can’t reach the really remote areas, or 100 motorcycle clinics that can?
“I hope the objectors will never themselves have to put a dying child or elderly person into a wheelbarrow and push them on paths to a distant health station.”