ALBERTON – The comment released by Themba Gadebe an EMM spokesperson, answered questions about the QBIT tender.
It stated that the Accounting Officer (City Manager) does not get involved in the sourcing, evaluation and adjudication of any bid.
In a report on the QBIT bid, it shows that the City Manager requested the approval of the bid on July 25, 2011 even though in the same report it continues to say that the item (QBIT bid) and its recommendation cannot be supported.
The bid was not supported because the bid was to the value of R31 101 680, only three companies submitted proposals and any bid in the excess of R10 million should require bidders to submit audited financial statements.
The official comment stated that the QBIT contract underwent a regularity audit by the Auditor General.
According to Cllr Berg this is untrue. “He is also misleading the press by saying that the Auditor General did an investigation and found nothing wrong, the Auditor General did not investigate it.”
Councillor Berg referred to the Council’s resolution to inform the SIU (Serious Investigation Unit) to investigate this matter.
“The SIU should have been informed, but they were not as the SIU was not informed to do the investigation.”
Themba also stated that payments made to QBIT were according to invoices for work that has been completed.
Gobodo Forensic Investigative Accounting who investigated the tender reported that R6 million has already been spent on work that has not been completed.
The report also recommends that the money should be paid back or the work should be completed, and that disciplinary actions should be taken against the officials implicated.
