The City of Johannesburg has found its director of trade and investment, Reginald Pholo, guilty of dishonest and wrongful influence over the allocation of tenders.
This according to MMC for Economic Development, Leah Knott.
Knott said the assistant director in the same department, Londeka Ntjoboko, was also subjected to a disciplinary hearing which was finalised in November last year for her alleged involvement in the matter. Knott said Ntjoboko resigned with immediate effect before the outcome of the hearing.
The City has laid criminal charges with the South African Police Service against both officials. Knott said they will also pursue the recovery of City funds which were transferred to the pair through either personal accounts or accounts linked to companies they have a vested interest in, but failed to declare.
“The City will not tolerate corruption within its ranks and condemns the theft of public funds for personal enrichment. We are committed to ensuring the City’s economic growth and reducing unemployment, which is hampered by such actions, and will apply all of our resources in stamping out this dishonesty.”
Earlier on the same day as Knott’s announcement, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba revealed that two employees who worked for the City’s group finance department had been suspended for allegedly fraudulently transferring R800 000 to a company of attorneys. Criminal charges, he said, will now be laid against them.
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