The Fusion Centre, a joint task force made up of numerous State organs, said it made 97 referrals for disciplinary and executive action to be taken against public officials in government departments and state owned entities, for their role in corruption cases.
Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya made the announcement on Wednesday during a briefing on the success of the Fusion centre.
The centre was formed in May 2020 with the intention of curbing corruption with a specific focus on the misappropriation of state funds during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. These funds were meant for social and economic relief during a turbulent time.
The centre includes representatives from the South African Police Service, South African Revenue Service (Sars), Special Investing Unit, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA); NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU); Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation or Hawks, the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC), National Treasury and Auditor General of South Africa.
Lebeya was talking about some of the success the centre has achieved since its inception just over three years ago.
So far, the Fusion Centre has investigated 515 cases surrounding fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Based on these investigations, they found that 97 public officials were involved, some of whom have been fired, some suspended and while some resigned.
“Public officials involved in some of the cases of maladministration or did not follow the legislative frameworks in appointing service providers.
“There were 97 referrals for disciplinary and executive action to be taken against officials in government departments and state owned entities. So far, 11 public officials have been dismissed for various offences including maladministration, fraud and corruption. Three have resigned.
“Eight were suspended, 71 pending and one received a written warning,” Lebeya said.
Some of the most valuable cases investigated by the centre focused around entities and accountants who defrauded the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme known as TERS.
At a time when the pandemic forced businesses to shut their doors and employees to stay home and not earn an income, President Cyril Ramaphosa called TERS a lifeline for many.
Although it helped many South Africans get through a tough economic situation, the fund came with its own challenges, as many opportunistic people saw an avenue for profit while others needed it to survive.
“It (Covid-19 TERS) made the difference between companies remaining open and being forced to close, between jobs saved and jobs lost,” Ramaphosa said on a state website.
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