Court bid planned over fraud probe

AN EASTERN Cape municipality has been sitting on a multimillion-rand fraud investigation report for months without presenting it to the council.

And now the DA wants to approach the courts to force Port St Johns Municipality to table the report.

The investigation involved a R31-million tender awarded to a construction company in Mthatha.

It has been reported that the tender was awarded to a company that was in the process of being liquidated and deregistered.

It was also alleged that the municipality overpaid the company by more than R10-million.

The investigation report allegedly implicates a number of municipal officials, including the acting municipal manager at the time, Ngamela Pakade.

The report also recommends that council press charges against Pakade for allegedly altering the tender amount without following proper processes.

It further recommends lifestyle audits on Pakade and other managers.

DA councillor Mbongeni Kotana said his party had been waiting for a long time for the report to be presented in council.

Kotana said the party had given mayor Phikolomzi Langa 14 days to respond, but was still waiting for action on the matter and court papers were now being prepared.

Langa said the report was given to him in October last year and he was now waiting for a date to present it to the council.