Defence billions lost

SIU PROBES: MULTIPLE CRIMINAL CASES AND REFERRALS FOLLOW

- Sipho Mabena

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, have laid bare corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement amounting to billions of rands in the department of defence and military veterans.

SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi told parliament yesterday that the graft-busting unit had uncovered deep-rooted corruption, maladministration, as well as financial mismanagement across the defence portfolio.

The SIU investigations cover irregular software deals, inflated Covid tenders, illegal drug imports from Cuba and poor governance at Denel.

Among the findings is the R467 million Microsoft licensing scandal, in which the department paid for software that was never used.

According to Mothibi, the contracts with EOH Mthombo and SoftwareOne were awarded without bidding or budget approval. He said in April, the Special Tribunal declared the R257 million SoftwareOne contract unlawful and ordered the company to repay it.