Despite more than R411m being spent on the Department of Public Works’ repair and maintenance programme at One Military Hospital (Pretoria) between 2006 and March 2011, the work dating to 2001 has still not been started, with the first two floors are still not operational, report Mail & Guardian.
Senior executive officials from the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure and the Department of Defence (DoD) are now to be held liable for irregular expenditure of R156m on repair and maintenance work at the hospital between 2009 and 2011. That's according to a forensic investigation report that is to be brought before Parliament this week.
The there has been a 95% overspend on the initial estimation for repair work at the hospital, reports the Mail & Guardian.
The investigation was conducted independently by Abacus Financial Crime Advisory. The main report contains more than 4,000 documents into the dubious dealings that occurred between 2006 and 2020, when the report was finalised. What follows is an overview of the corrupt activities, including cash payments, theft, irregular expenditure and the mismanagement of state funds.
The report found that “both senior executive officials from the DoD and Public Works actively participated in the extension of ‘irregular’ contracts”. Ultimately, the report recommends, senior executive officials should be held accountable for irregular conduct in regards to the extension of contracts. In addition, the extended contracts, valued at R156 668 974, are deemed irregular expenditure.
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