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Numsa heads to court to get 'corrupt' SAA Technical senior executives to pay

Numsa heads to court to get 'corrupt' SAA Technical senior executives to pay.
Numsa heads to court to get 'corrupt' SAA Technical senior executives to pay.
Image: STOCK IMAGE

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is heading to court in a bid to recover damages from several senior executives from SAA Technical for their role in alleged irregular purchases of Ground Power Units (GPU).

“In 2016 SAAT sold all 12 of its GPUs to JM Aviation – a decision which resulted in a loss of over R5 million. We believe that the decision to sell the GPUs was motivated by corruption because JM Aviation benefited at the expense of SAAT‚” Numsa’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said in a statement.

“Our allegation is based on the findings of the Open Water Forensic report‚ which was finalised in May 2017.”

According to Hlubi-Majola‚ the Open Water forensic report confirms that the sale of the GPUs was irregular and that proper supply chain management policies were not followed. It also found that the sale exposed SAAT to “undue financial obligations”.

“The GPUs were sold to JM Aviation for a price which is far below the market value. It is our firm belief that the sale was induced by corruption or bribery involving senior SAAT employees who may have colluded with executives from JM Aviation to effect the sale.

“Open Water found that SAAT suffered a loss of at least R 5 128 687 and therefore we are demanding that SAA Technical claim that amount directly from the executives who have been accused by the report for the alleged role that they played in this irregular transaction.”

Hlubi-Majola said Numsa is seeking a court order directing the executives and companies to pay SAAT back the money that was used to effect this transaction.

“In 2015 SAAT bought 12 GPUs for R11 million‚ including shipping costs‚ (each GPU cost approximately R800 000). In July 2016 SAAT then sold the GPUs for R2 976 000‚ at a cost of R248 000 per unit. At the time of the sale each GPU was worth at least R750 000‚ and its book value according to the SAAT register was R682 000.
The purchase of these GPUs was irregular in that the person responsible for the SAAT asset register had not approved the disposal of all the GPUs‚” Hlubi-Majola said.

“The disposal was in contravention of Treasury regulation 16A7.1 which stipulates that the disposal and sale of assets must be at market-related value. Once JM Aviation had bought them they went on to sell the very same GPUs to Swissport.

“SAAT now leases the very same GPUs from Swissport at a rate of R550 per hour‚ demonstrating that the transaction was purely motivated by greed and corruption! The irregular sale of the GPUs is but one of the many examples of corruption at SAAT which the Open Water Forensic Report exposes.”

SAA announced in March that it had decided to institute disciplinary proceedings

The case is set down for hearing in the South Gauteng High Court on June 28.

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