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24 May 2016

The Public Protector
Hillcrest Office Park
175 Lunnon Street
Pretoria
0001



Dear Advocate Madonsela


Additional information on the requested investigation into allegations of improper conduct/maladministration and abuse of office by Chief Executive Officer of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA): forensic investigation report

My letter dated 9 February 2016, sent to your good office on the same day has reference.

Subsequently, I wish to bring to your attention that a forensic investigation by CETA has been concluded and that a report was presented to the board on the 9th of May 2016.

In this regard, your office is humbly advised to demand access to the forensic investigation report referred to above.

In order to get a full picture, your office is also advised to request the relevant court papers, minutes of the board meeting as well as the reports the CEO presented to the relevant parliamentary portfolio committee, in which she has been found to have misled all those bodies.

Geldenhys - Malatji firm, which conducted the forensic investigation referred to above, at CETA, has confirmed that in their investigation there was an adverse finding against Mr George Peta and that the CETA should never have done business with him and his company, called Canton Trading.

They further reaffirmed that the CETA Forensic Investigations, prior to Mr George Peta’s resignation and subsequent business dealings with the CETA had made serious adverse findings against Mr Peta and emphasised that CETA should not have done business with him.

Given the additional information, herein shared with your office, we humbly request that the Public Protector ask the following, directly to the Minster as part of the investigation requested.

The Minister is in possession of the Forensic Report which has found that the CEO has lied, what steps he is taking, if any, with regard to such gross miss-conduct.

The country needs to know what was the benefit of spending R60million on George Peta’s Company and whether how such public expenditure has changed the lives of the intended beneficiaries, the poor students and how many, if any.

The minister is also aware that the CETA did business to the tune of R60 million with Mr Peta, a person the minister’s investigators said we should never have done a business with – what actions, if any, has the minister taken against:
·         The CEO;
·         The Board; and
·         The Procurement Officials (Africa Wide Consulting Services)

Given the fact that the whistle-blowers have been vindicated by the findings in the Geldenhys - Malatji Investigation, why do they remain suspended and dismissed whilst the person proved to have misled the EXCO, the Board, the Portfolio Committee and the court, remains in the office and in charge of a billion rand operation.

It is common cause that the CEO’s salary was mysteriously increased to the tune of R2.7 million, however, the Minister has to explain how was this done and what were the reasons.

Given the findings of the forensic investigation on the conduct of the CEO, what is the Minister intending to do with regards to what could be viewed as fruitless and wasteful expenditure in paying the dubious CEO such amounts.
 

Your office is further request that it demand the evidence presented in the Geldenhys - Malatji’s Investigation which has directed the investigation to arrive at these critical findings.

Attached herein are relevant documents that would make it easy to proceed with the investigation

I look forward to your excellent investigative work on this matter.

Kind regards,

Issued by UDM