CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says her department can no longer afford to pay the Special Investigations Unit to continue probing alleged corruption in the department.
A four-year SIU investigation into corruption in prisons found evidence that facilities management group Bosasa allegedly paid R2,1million in bribes to former chief financial officer (CFO) of prisons Patrick Gillingham.
SIU head Willie Hofmeyrtold Parliament last year that Bosasa, which earned more than R1billion in prisons contracts, allegedly bribed the former CFO with R2,1million is worth of cars, rugby tickets, an overseas trip, a new kitchen and house renovations.
Speaking in Parliament during her budget speech yesterday, Mapisa-Nqakula said the results of the investigation had been handed to the serious commercial crimes unit of the police for "a thorough investigation".
She acknowledged that "questions had been raised" about why she failed to renew the SIU contract when it expired almost a year ago. But yesterday she said the four-year investigation had cost the ministry R36million.
The DA refused to support her budget vote. DA MP James Selfe said: "This department spent almost R2million on unnecessary adverts while it couldn't find the money to employ social workers."
DEPARTMENT HAS NO CASH FOR PROBE
CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says her department can no longer afford to pay the Special Investigations Unit to continue probing alleged corruption in the department.
A four-year SIU investigation into corruption in prisons found evidence that facilities management group Bosasa allegedly paid R2,1million in bribes to former chief financial officer (CFO) of prisons Patrick Gillingham.
SIU head Willie Hofmeyrtold Parliament last year that Bosasa, which earned more than R1billion in prisons contracts, allegedly bribed the former CFO with R2,1million is worth of cars, rugby tickets, an overseas trip, a new kitchen and house renovations.
Speaking in Parliament during her budget speech yesterday, Mapisa-Nqakula said the results of the investigation had been handed to the serious commercial crimes unit of the police for "a thorough investigation".
She acknowledged that "questions had been raised" about why she failed to renew the SIU contract when it expired almost a year ago. But yesterday she said the four-year investigation had cost the ministry R36million.
The DA refused to support her budget vote. DA MP James Selfe said: "This department spent almost R2million on unnecessary adverts while it couldn't find the money to employ social workers."