An internal disciplinary hearing for the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) suspended chief executive Trevor Abrahams got underway in Johannesburg on Tuesday, authority representative Trevor Davids said.
He could not say how long the hearing was due to take, and would not elaborate on the charges against Abrahams.
Last month, The Sunday Times reported that a forensic probe recommended Abrahams be criminally charged and ordered to repay tens of thousands of rands to the organisation.
The forensic probe of Abrahams confirmed in January the Mail & Guardian’s investigative article led to his suspension.
The expose, headlined ”Aviation chief’s sweetheart connection” (November 29), was the reason the CAA board decided to institute a forensic audit against Abrahams. The chief mandate of the forensic investigators was to look into the ”veracity” of the M&G report.
The Sunday Times said the probe found ”countless examples of fruitless and wasteful expenditure of taxpayers’ monies by Abrahams”.
Investigators recommended that he face disciplinary action, be charged with misconduct, be forced to repay thousands of rands, and face criminal charges.
Among the allegations against Abrahams was that he borrowed more than R100 000 from the authority within six months and that he put in irregular subsistence and travel claims on several ”extended” overseas trips.
He was suspended from his position as chief executive in December last year amid a row over a private events-management company owned by himself and his fiancee, that benefited from contracts with the CAA.
A final decision on Abrahams’ fate would be taken by the CAA board in consultation with Transport Minister Dullah Omar.
Abrahams was appointed to his present position in 1998.
He was arrested in July 2000 on charges of running a licence scam, but the charges were dropped and he was reinstated in March 2001. – Sapa