Pollsmoor's expensive screws

2003-02-17 22:14

Ronel Bester

Cape Town - Taxpayers may have paid thousands of rands for screws ordered by Pollsmoor prison at exorbitant prices.

Judge Thabani Jali, chairperson of the Jali Commission, tasked with investigating corruption in prisons, heard on Monday that Pollsmoor paid three times more for 6 000 screws and washers than what they were worth.

Siphiwe Moloi, one of the Commission's investigating officers, testified that two independent suppliers originally submitted tenders, quoting prices of R21 000 and R22 230. The lowest tender was accepted.

However, when Moloi, pretending to be a private contractor, approached the supplier who submitted the R22 230 quote, he was charged R1.12 for a washer and screw instead of the R3.25 the department of correctional services was quoted.

Abraham Lourens, acting head of logistics at Pollsmoor, told the commission that Moloi's quote was for different screws, but Jali nonetheless ordered an investigation into the delivery and specifications of the hardware.

"At other prisons, we found that goods that were paid for were only delivered on paper," he said.

- Die Burger