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THE forensic investigator who ruled that Athletics SA (ASA) president Aleck Skhosana was unfit to hold office is now accusing the federation s vice-president of conducting a monumental cover-up

Skhosana’s deputy, Harold Adams, last month released a brief report dismissing the findings of the Wesscor investigation that had been commissioned by KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA).

Skhosana was president of KZNA at the time fraud was perpetrated by two office workers between 2009 and 2012. Three probes were conducted, the first by ASA’s auditors in 2011, the second by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial treasury in 2012 and then Wesscor s, completed last year.

In a press release issued by KZNA, Wesscor managing member Johan Wessels dismissed the Adams report.

Adams said that Skhosana had not taken any money, and added the Wesscor report was merely a rehash of the previous two investigations.

Wessels hit back, saying his investigation looked into the misappropriation of Lotto funding, which the other two probes didn’t.

He also pointed out that Skhosana had indeed been implicated in the two previous reports.

In the first, the auditors noted that cheque signatories, who included Skhosana, ought to have exercised more diligence in authorising payments

Wesscor found fraud of more than R400 000, although estimated it could be closer to R5-million.

According to the second report Skhosana falsely declared’ ... that effective, efficient and transparent financial management and internal control systems are in place for KZN Athletics as per the [Public Finance Management Act]”.

The report by Dr Adams is nothing more than a monumental cover-up, Wessels concluded.

Adams questioned why a private company had responded to an ASA report. He reiterated that ASA couldn’t act until a police investigation was complete. Then we will act accordingly.”

Wessels, however, said this was no reason to delay action.

This has nothing to do with any police investigation and a person of Dr Adams’s stature should well know the distinction between labour law and criminal law and that they are dealt with separately,” said Wessels. Not knowing this, would in our opinion render him unfit for the office of vice president of any entity.

There is no investigation for ASA to undertake. They merely have to set up a disciplinary tribunal, and engage with KZNA regarding providing the witnesses and evidence.”