MP scam: Poor control blamed

2004-08-24 15:42

Cape Town - It is clear a lack of proper controls led to the parliamentary travel voucher fraud scam, national assembly speaker Baleka Mbete said on Tuesday.

Speaking during a special debate on the issue in the house, she said the system was being reviewed so the loopholes could be closed and confidence in the institution restored.

"For instance, there was a lack of proper control over the issuing, use and cancellation of vouchers.

"There was no system to check how often travel agents invoiced parliament for the same trips undertaken," she said.

No system existed to properly validate invoices submitted for travel, nor for MPs to validate trips undertaken in their names.

Mbete emphasised it was parliament itself that uncovered the scam in 2002, and subsequently called in independent investigators, and later the police and the national prosecuting authority.

Only when forensic auditors presented a progress report on the investigation to the presiding officers in June this year, did the issue of possible charges against MPs emerge.

Media

"As everyone knows, the media has carried numerous stories implicating current and former members.

"I have consistently refused to add to the confusion and frenzy that has tried and sentenced honourable members ahead of time.

"No amount of intimidation will change my approach on this matter."

Mbete said the constitution was clear in that any person should be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

"We will not violate that principle. We must allow the law to take its course."

Whoever was found guilty would have to face the full consequences of due process, she said.

Mbete also denied ever promising to release the auditors' interim report.

"What I did promise... was that after reading the report we would come back to the public."

Even if she wanted to, she could not have shared the report because "it is clearly stated that it is strictly private and confidential".

This was especially because the investigation was still continuing.

The contents of the report could not be published without adverse implications for the investigation, Mbete said.

- SAPA