Family of slain whistle-blower shocked by SIU report

THE family of slain whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran, is disappointed and shocked by the findings of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report that more than R2 billion was looted from Tembisa Hospital.

- KAREN SINGH

Deokaran, who was a Gauteng Department of Health official, uncovered about R850 million in suspicious payments at Tembisa Hospital and was killed in August 2021 for exposing this corruption which implicates at least 15 current and former employees.

The six men accused of her murder were sentenced earlier this year, but the mastermind behind the hit has not been caught.

Deokaran's brother-in-law, Bishop Tony Haripersadh, said it has been difficult for the family, who still struggles to find closure since her death.

He believes that the authorities and law enforcement are not concerned about finding the mastermind behind her murder.

“The family is very saddened and hurt. They say time will heal, but for us, time is not healing, because it’s four years now, and it’s still like the first day that we lost her,” he said.

Haripersadh said they were disappointed with the SIU report finding that funds taken had risen from R850m at the time of her death to R2 billion.

“We are very disappointed and angry at the fact that she laid down her life, and all that she uncovered was stored on her laptop and cellphone”

He stated that investigating officials could have discovered clues and identified the individuals in the report had they examined her devices.

Haripersadh, a former government accountant of over 10 years, stated that if action had been taken sooner, “a lot of the money that was taken, about R1.2 billion after her death, could have been stopped”.