Bosasa and correctional services contractual relationship ongoing despite SIU report – Clint Oellermann

Former lead investigator of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) Clint Oellermann on Monday told the commission of inquiry into state capture that he had received reports that the contractual relationship between Bosasa and the department of correctional services (DCS) continues, despite a 2009 SIU report that made several findings and recommendations which warranted a final investigation and prosecution.

Oellermann was the SIU lead investigator in the Bosasa investigation, however, he left the unit in 2012.

He told the commission that the investigations into irregularities in tenders the DCS awarded to the Bosasa commenced in earnest in 2007.

Oellermann said a presidential proclamation limited the SIU’s investigation to four tenders, a catering contract, an access control contract, a fencing tender, and one for designing a system where a TV would be placed in every cell.

Oellermann said the SIU report was issued in 2009 and within one or two days it was, illegally, in the hands of officials at Bosasa, a matter which former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi attested to during his testimony. The report was submitted to the DCS and to the acting national commissioner at the time.

Oellermann said the report contained allegations of a number of irregularities and evidence of payments and gratification bribes of former DCS senior officials Linda Mti and Patrick Gillingham, however, according to his knowledge, only disciplinary action was taken against Gillingham.

During the investigation into the matter, SIU investigators also heard of “significant” allegations of irregularities in tenders at the department of home affairs and the Airports Company of South Africa, but could not test these because they fell outside of the presidential proclamation.

Evidence leader at the commission advocate Paul Pretorius said the inquiry would also look into whether the national prosecuting authority (NPA) had dragged its feet in taking action on the SIU report.

Oellermann said a number of meetings with the NPA were held after the SIU handed over the report to the authority and that the unit handed over all the evidence it had gathered to the NPA.

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