Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and her supporters.
Image: Picture: Tumi Pakkies/ African News Agency (ANA)
A senior investigator within the eThekwini Municipality's investigation unit was dismissed after a probe into the forensic company Integrity Forensic Solutions (IFS) that investigated R300 million Durban Solid Waste( DSW) tender irregularities involving Zandile Gumede a former mayor of the City and 21 others.
This came up on Friday at the Durban High Court during the cross-examination of a state witness by defence counsel advocate Jimmy Howse SC.
Adv Howse is counsel for accused five, Sandile Ngcobo - a deputy head of Supply chain in the City.
Ngcobo, Gumede, and others are on trial for fraud, corruption, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act concerning a R300 million DSW contract.
Howse teased the court by revealing that a certain company investigated the appointment of IFS for the City, as a result, a senior investigator in the Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) was dismissed. He asked the state witness if he knew about the dismissal of the investigator and the witness said he heard about it.
Although the witness said he could not comment on the disciplinary hearings that this senior investigator went through, he heard about it.
“Can you confirm that IFS carried out the investigation?” asked Howse.
Fifth accused Sandile Ngcobo.
Image: Picture: Leon Lestrade
The witness said "yes".
Howse asked if it was correct that IFS was appointed by CIIU, the witness answered "yes". The witness further confirmed that he was aware that there was an investigation regarding the appointment of IFS.
State prosecutor advocate Reshma Athmaram stood up and said she did not see the relevance of these questions to the witness.
However, Judge Sharmaine Balton allowed the questioning. Advocate Naidoo counsel for Gumede told the court that the disciplinary hearing of the senior investigator was number one in the documents that he intends to bring to the court.
Naidoo last year told the court that he wanted to bring a whistleblower’s report and some documents that stated that IFS was unlawfully appointed to carry out forensic investigations together with CIIU.
“I’m not sure if you have seen that application, my lady,” he said to Balton.
Balton said she hadn’t had the opportunity to see it but she has received a pile of documents.
The state has replied to Naidoo’s application to have these documents in court so that he can open his cross-examination of another former CIIU official.
The court has yet to give a date for the hearing of the said application.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za
