Gauteng public servant Crish Naidu has been paid R1,25-million in the past 27 months for doing nothing, the
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reported on Thursday.
It quoted Naidu as saying he was suspended after uncovering alleged fraud involving at least six members of staff.
He worked as director of management services in the department of finance and economic affairs, with a monthly salary of R46 000.
Naidu said he served during the tenure of former provincial finance minister Jabu Moleketi and current minister Paul Mashatile, but claimed neither had acted on his corruption allegations.
For two years, he said, he tried a number of avenues to have action taken about his corruption claims, but met with no success. Two years later, as a last resort, he gave his report to the Auditor General (AG), who then contacted the finance department to query it.
Naidu was suspended 27 months ago on the grounds that he had no right to hand over the information to the AG without permission.
Departmental spokesperson Percy Mthimkulu said Naidu was suspended because he used documentation he was not supposed to have for his fraud report.
”He was also charged with insubordination because employees are not allowed to approach the AG without permission.”
Mthimkulu says the AG had since released two reports that did not mention any of Naidu’s allegations of fraud — thereby indicating he had found no substance to them.
On the length of time Naidu has been on full pay, Mthimkulu said this was because it had taken Mashatile some time for him to familiarise himself with the new department. – Sapa