Government officials in hot water
2012-08-05 07:58
Johannesburg - Government officials "placed South Africa at risk" of
breaking United Nations sanctions, according to reports on Sunday.
The
Sunday Times reported that an audit report found the risk was related
to when officials issued letters of support to a company trying to sell
helicopters to Iran.
The Grant Thornton report, commissioned by
the department of trade and industry (DTI), is independent proof that
officials delivered on their side of a deal to obtain political support
for the company 360 Aviation, the newspaper reported.
The report was obtained by the Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier through a Promotion of Access to Information request.
Irregularities
were found in how the DTI letters were issued and the report also
recommends disciplinary action against officials involved, the Sunday
Times reported.
In March, the DTI said it was conducting an
investigation into the supply of letters of support to a company doing
business with Iran after the department issued a letter of support on 12
April 2011 to 360 Aviation.
Maynier told the newspaper that the
report highlighted the need for a policy review on the whole questions
of letters of support that made the DTI vulnerable to corruption.
DTI spokesperson Sidwell Medupe confirmed that the report was submitted to the public protector, the Sunday Times reported.
- SAPA
