Attempts by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to have more than 500 companies blacklisted for PPE looting have not materialised because of a lack of action from accounting officers in departments and entities they had defrauded.
The Mail & Guardian reports that this is despite the SIU’s recommendation to permanently ban the companies and their directors from doing business with the state in its reports delivered to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had authorised the investigations of the R500bn PPE looting in early 2020.
At a presentation to Scopa last week, SIU head Advocate Andy Mothibi said 506 referrals had been made to different accounting authorities of municipalities, entities and departments by the investigative body. Of these, 202 were in Gauteng and 131 in KZN, with the rest of the referrals affecting the Free State, Limpopo and North West.
Mail & Guardian article – Accounting officers block PPE looter blacklisting (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
SIU report reveals massive scale of looting from COVID-relief funds
No KZN companies blacklisted despite SIU findings of PPE fraud
Top SA cop investigating PPE fraud killed by poison, not COVID
SIU probe into fraudulent PPE contracts now exceeds R14bn