/ 28 March 2003

First casualty in CAA scandal

Trevor Davids, the right-hand man of disgraced Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) chief Trevor Abrahams, who is facing a disciplinary inquiry for corruption and fraud, has resigned. Davids’s resignation brings to an end the authority’s disciplinary action against him.

Davids, former senior communications manager at the CAA, was suspended last month along with IT manger Ancil Lee after a forensic probe fingered him in irregularities and dubbed him a ”fraud”.

The probe, which was launched by the CAA board after the Mail & Guardian disclosed allegations of corruption against Abrahams, found that Davids and Abrahams had free rein at the CAA and abused hundreds of rands of taxpayers’ money.

In a statement this week CAA acting CEO Sakhile Nyoni said the authority has accepted Davids’s resignation. Nyoni confirmed that the CAA has halted the disciplinary inquiry against Davids following his resignation. Nyoni said CAA legal services general manager KC Marobela would act in the position.

Davids could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press.

The departure of Davids ends a chapter at the authority dubbed by officials as the ”Trevor and Trevor gravy train”.

Davids was brought to the CAA by Abrahams as communications consultant before he was appointed to the position of senior communications manager.

Last year Davids defended Abrahams when the M&G disclosed details of a cosy relationship involving contracts between the CAA and Abrahams’s fiancÃ