Works tender probe nears completion

A team investigating several top officials accused of tender-related fraud at the Ministry of Works is set to present its findings and recommendations within the next two weeks.

Well-placed sources said the team, under Alpheus Muheua from the Office of the Prime Minister, was busy wrapping up its long-awaited report and that a recommendation will be made that it also be handed over to the Anti-Corruption Commission for charges against the alleged culprits. Among those who may face the music are Gerrit Mouton and Walter Rugheimer.Mouton was already charged internally and fired after he was found guilty by a disciplinary committee while Rugheimer, who sources said was running a mini-tender board in the Ministry of Works, remains on suspension with full pay since September 2004.Two other top officials, Japie Pretorius and Willy Gouws, have resigned while being investigated for alleged involvement in the massive tender scam.The case against the Director of Maintenance, Ben Booysen, was dropped and he is back at work.The mandate of the investigation was extended several times as they continued to unmask several major tender deals in which top officials entrusted to issue Works Ministry tenders were involved.”We are definitely handing over the final document to the Minister in two weeks’ time.We will recommend several actions, among them to charge some individuals.We hope that the Anti-Corruption Commission will take the charges further as all the evidence will be presented in the report,” one source said.The Ministry of Works has already approached the Office of the Prosecutor General to decide on criminal charges against the officials but a final decision has yet to be made.In the meantime, sources said, people like Works Minister Joel Kaapanda have grown impatient and the findings of the Muheua-team would be submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.The five suspected officials were on full pay with benefits for a year without setting foot in the office.The suspension of the officials, effective from September 2004, was extended indefinitely while Police investigators and Muheua’s team continued to probe their alleged involvement.The investigation was expected to be finalised by the end of March last year but was extended because its scope had widened.The five top officials were suspended after allegations surfaced that they had been involved in bribing businesses that tender for Government jobs.At least one of the five officials was accused of owning a company that only existed on paper but was paid by Government for “work done”.Sources alleged that some of the top officials were linked to companies that were usually awarded the tenders to repair hospital equipment.However, these companies allegedly kept on doing a poor job to ensure that they could go back for more work, and payments, without being called to order.Among those who may face the music are Gerrit Mouton and Walter Rugheimer.Mouton was already charged internally and fired after he was found guilty by a disciplinary committee while Rugheimer, who sources said was running a mini-tender board in the Ministry of Works, remains on suspension with full pay since September 2004. Two other top officials, Japie Pretorius and Willy Gouws, have resigned while being investigated for alleged involvement in the massive tender scam.The case against the Director of Maintenance, Ben Booysen, was dropped and he is back at work.The mandate of the investigation was extended several times as they continued to unmask several major tender deals in which top officials entrusted to issue Works Ministry tenders were involved.”We are definitely handing over the final document to the Minister in two weeks’ time.We will recommend several actions, among them to charge some individuals.We hope that the Anti-Corruption Commission will take the charges further as all the evidence will be presented in the report,” one source said.The Ministry of Works has already approached the Office of the Prosecutor General to decide on criminal charges against the officials but a final decision has yet to be made.In the meantime, sources said, people like Works Minister Joel Kaapanda have grown impatient and the findings of the Muheua-team would be submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.The five suspected officials were on full pay with benefits for a year without setting foot in the office.The suspension of the officials, effective from September 2004, was extended indefinitely while Police investigators and Muheua’s team continued to probe their alleged involvement.The investigation was expected to be finalised by the end of March last year but was extended because its scope had widened.The five top officials were suspended after allegations surfaced that they had been involved in bribing businesses that tender for Government jobs.At least one of the five officials was accused of owning a company that only existed on paper but was paid by Government for “work done”.Sources alleged that some of the top officials were linked to companies that were usually awarded the tenders to repair hospital equipment.However, these companies allegedly kept on doing a poor job to ensure that they could go back for more work, and payments, without being called to order.