PHILLIP NKOSI, Nelspruit | 5.20pm.
SUSPENDED Mpumalanga Parks Board chief executive Alan Gray threatened to interdict the provincial government on Thursday after accusing it of denying him access to information.
Gray’s attorney, Pieter Swanepoel, said the MPB had consistently refused to supply his client with “vital” documents required to disprove 20 misconduct charges.
The charges follow revelations 14 months ago of Gray’s role in secretly signing away 31 provincial game reserves as collateral for a series of illegal promissory notes worth over R1,3-billion.
Gray was suspended immediately after the revelations and has earned over R610000 but is yet to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
The disciplinary hearing has finally been scheduled for November 23 but Swanepoel warned on Thursday he would get a High Court interdict to prevent the hearing. “No-one on the legal team will be available on November 23 and we are also concerned that the MPB has denied us access to evidence needed for Gray’s defense,” said Swanepoel.
MPB spokesman Gary Sutter rejected the charges, insisting Gray had been aware of the disciplinary hearing for sufficient time to ensure his legal representatives were available.
African Eye News