Barry Streek The Office of the Auditor General eventually had to foot a bill of R6,5-million to clear its name in the inquiry by the public protector into a claim by former minister of minerals and energy Penuell Maduna that the accounts watchdog covered up the theft of R170-million of oil. The current Auditor General, Shauket Fakie, said in his report for the 1998/99 financial year, tabled in Parliament this month, that the cost of his office’s participation in the inquiry amounted to R6,5-million “and up to now had to be borne by the office”. It has been estimated that the two-and-a- half year inquiry, which generated 25 000 pages of evidence, cost taxpayers about R30- million.
The inquiry started after Maduna alleged in Parliament that former auditor general Henri Kluever had covered up the theft of R170- million of oil. Maduna said in his evidence before Public Protector Selby Baqwa that he knew within days of making the claim that he was wrong, but he could not be “bothered” to correct his mistake. In his report Baqwa said that after having considered all the issues Kluever’s reports were “indeed correct and proper, with the exception of one minor technical detail”. Baqwa also called on Parliament to investigate disciplining Maduna. The National Assembly has appointed a committee, chaired by African National Congress MP Andries Nel, to consider the Baqwa report, but the committee has yet to complete its findings. In his annual report, Fakie said he and his office were “pleased” with Baqwa’s findings and “trust that this will consolidate the relationship of mutual trust and goodwill between the executive of the country and its supreme audit institution”.