United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has asked the Public Protector to demand access to a forensic investigation report into the Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta).

On February 9, Holomisa wrote to Thuli Madonsela to ask for an investigation into alleged improper conduct, maladministration, and abuse of office by Ceta chief executive officer Sonja Pilusa.

In a second letter, sent on Tuesday, Holomisa informed Madonsela that Ceta had concluded a forensic investigation and presented a report to its board on May 9.

He “advised” Madonsela to ask for the relevant court papers, minutes of the board meeting, and the reports Pilusa presented to the relevant parliamentary portfolio committee. These allegedly proved that she misled these bodies, Holomisa wrote.He said law firm Gildenhuys-Malatji, which conducted the forensic investigation, found Ceta should never have done business with its former regional manager George Peta and his company, Canton Trading.

Holomisa suggested a list of questions Madonsela should ask Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, including what he was doing about such “gross misconduct”.

The country needed to know the benefit of spending R60-million on Peta’s company and if it had helped poor students, he said.

Madonsela should ask why the whistleblowers in the matter remained suspended while Pilusa remained in the office and in charge of a billion rand operation.

Holomisa said Nzimande should explain why her salary was increased to R2.7-million.

'Draconian management' In March, City Press reported that whistleblowers had accused Nzimande, as custodian of the state entity, of failing to protect them from a “draconian management”.

They said the fact that Pilusa was never suspended pending the outcome of the forensic investigation worsened their plight.

Pilusa allegedly embarked on a witch-hunt after an anonymous letter emerged in April last year.

It painted Ceta – which trains and provides bursaries for pupils interested in entering the construction industry – as a state entity that was worse off than when it was placed under administration in 2012, according to the report.