Chairperson of the Scopa in the Free State, Neels van Rooyen, told OFM News that the corporation’s management would be meeting the committee in Bothaville, in the Free State, to clarify what happened and how they may have been implicated in the damning report.

The corporation, which is a public entity, established in terms of the FDC Act 6 of 1995, recently came under fire after a report, published last week, showed that it allegedly received R104 million as part of the wide-scale corruption that went on at VBS bank, which amounts to close to R2 billion. 

The report, titled ‘The Great Bank Heist’, by Advocate Terry Motau, states that the FDC was one of the top three beneficiaries in the looting scandal, which also implicates four North West Municipalities and other persons of interest such as the King of VhaVenda, Toni Mphephu Ramabulana.

 “We called them to come and report to the committee on what exactly happened there because we as the committee are also concerned about what we read in the report of VBS. So they will be in Nala tomorrow to come and brief the committee on exactly what is that amount for, what was it used for, you know why, etc. so that we can see what is our next step after this,” van Rooyen said on Monday.

Van Rooyen said, if it so happens that the FDC is implicated in the report following Tuesday’s engagement, there are a series of steps the committee can take, including requesting a forensic investigation, amongst other measures. Van Rooyen said this would be the proverbial bridge the committee would cross only when it gets there and the focus at the moment is on getting answers from the Corporation’s management.

He revealed that he only first heard of the FDC’s involvement with VBS when the report by Advocate Terry Motau was published last week and that as a result of that report, the committee would now also be seeking answers from the corporation on an amount of R10 million, which is reflected in the Corporation’s 2017/18 annual report. According to the annual report, this amount was invested with the bank, however, it cannot be accessed as the bank is under curatorship.

Van Rooyen said this matter would be one of the few on the agenda for the meeting and if public funds were used in any of these transactions, the committee then would embark on an investigation and look at ways it could hold the corporation accountable for misuse of public funds.

OFM News