Legal fees report wrong - NW govt
2012-12-12 09:27
Johannesburg - The newspaper report alleging North West
finance MEC Paul Sebegoe and education MEC Louisa Mabe spent R13m on legal fees
for a disciplinary hearing was wrong, the provincial finance department said on
Tuesday.
“The information published by the newspaper in question is
gross misrepresentation of facts,” department spokesperson Kesalopa Gill said
in a statement.
“The MEC submitted an apology for not attending the Scopa
meeting as he was not available due to prior commitments. It is unfortunate
that no arrangements were made to determine [his] availability.”
The department had taken up the matter with the editor and
were awaiting a response.
Gill said that with the matter still under review, the
department could not comment further on the case.
Call for expulsion
Earlier, the province’s Standing Committee on Public
Accounts (Scopa) called for the expulsion of the two MECs after they failed to
appear.
The legislature said in a statement the disciplinary hearing
concerned suspended department head (HOD) Johannes Mohlala.
Acting HOD Geo Paul reportedly wrote to Mabe asking if she
was going to avoid standard practice and appoint a law firm on contract for the
hearing, the cost of which was not allowed to exceed R500 000.
However, according to media reports an invoice from the law
firm Mabe appointed showed the department paid nearly R2m for a single invoice,
spending R13m in total.
It was reported that Mabe was the chief witness in the
matter.
Scopa wanted Mabe and Sebegoe expelled because they both
failed to appear before the committee to explain the matter as requested.
"The two sent apologies but the committee 'rejected
them with contempt'," the legislature said.
Scopa chairperson Hlomane Chauke said public money could not
be spent in that manner, with Sebegoe and Mabe refusing to take responsibility
and account for it. He said if media reports were correct, Mabe had acted in
bad faith.
"They were given enough time to come and present facts
to the committee and they failed to do so," said Chauke.
"If we do not take action we will see the collapse of
accountability in the province."
Scopa resolved the matter be brought to the attention of North
West Premier Thandi Modise.
Comment from Mabe could not be immediately obtained.
- SAPA
