Beach boss fraud finding

[caption id="attachment_205899" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Fernando Cain
File picture: Brian Witbooi[/caption]

Internal metro probe finds Cain was giving business to his family

Suspended Nelson Mandela Bay municipal beach manager Fernando Cain has been found guilty in an internal process of fraud and failing to declare that his family members own a company he was giving business to.

Cain, who was suspended in late December last year, was found guilty on Thursday following the internal hearing which started last month.

As a result of the evidence presented at the hearing, the municipality confirmed yesterday that the police had also been informed and a criminal case subsequently opened.

This comes after an internal probe by the metro’s safety and security special investigation unit was launched in December following an audit that uncovered discrepancies in the beach office.

The probe was triggered after several near drownings across the Bay during the December 2015 holidays.

Cain is employed as assistant director in the municipal department of sport, recreation, arts and culture directorate.

After the probe was launched, invoices for duties rendered by municipal lifesavers were found, leading investigators to Cain.

According to municipal documents, invoices totalling almost R200 000 linked to contracts awarded to contractors, along with quotations, were found on Cain’s computer.

The documents claim letterheads of various companies were found on his computer in Word and Excel format – allowing him to alter the documents.

“The employee [Cain] is submitting quotations and invoices created by him from his computer and submitting them to the NMBM, for the purpose of generating payments for the companies in question,” the documents state.

The documents go on to say that Cain failed to declare business interests in a company, Mattcole CC.

Mattcole is listed on the municipal database as a supplier. “The business he allegedly failed to declare is Mattcole CC owned by his son and daughter-in-law, which has business interests in employee’s [Cain’s] employer [NMBM].”

Cain declined to comment on the hearing yesterday, saying it was still under way.