/ 29 August 2007

FF+ submits complaint over Parliament security scam

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) on Wednesday submitted a formal complaint about alleged fraud, theft and corruption at Parliament to the Public Protector and the National Prosecuting Authority. The complaint deals with contracts awarded to African Strategic Asset Protection for revamping and maintaining Parliament's access and security system.

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) on Wednesday submitted a formal complaint about alleged fraud, theft and corruption at Parliament to the Public Protector and the National Prosecuting Authority.

The complaint deals with contracts awarded to African Strategic Asset Protection (Asap) for revamping and maintaining Parliament’s access and security system, FF+ chief whip Corne Mulder said.

In his letter to the Public Protector, Mulder gave notice of a formal complaint against Asap, which won a R32-million access-control contract and a R12-million asset-tracking contract for Parliament in what ”appear to be clear cases of tender-rigging”.

Mulder requested an in-depth investigation into the exact nature and scope of the relationship between: Asap; Zoyus Security Consultants and its directors; the directors of Asap; Lewis and De Kroon (LDK) — consulting engineers; the Department of Public Works; Russel Christopher — former head of security at Parliament; Shane Jacobs; the late Thobile ”Tall” Mtwazi; Ncumisa Kondlo — ANC MP; Nuctech — the Chinese company represented in South Africa by Asap; Andulela Communications; and B’smart and other subsidiaries of ASAP.

He also wanted investigated ”the involvement of these entities and individuals in the tender processes, profit margins, and fulfilment of the specifications of all relevant contracts that deal with public monies, with specific reference to the contracts with which they may have been involved in the following projects: Access and security system for Parliament, Tuynhuys, 90 Plein Street, Coega, the National Prosecuting Authority, the South African Revenue Service, PetroSA, the oil company BP, KwaZulu-Natal legislature and any others”.

As background, Mulder said: ”It is alleged that Asap obtained almost complete control of Parliament’s access technology, surveillance cameras and X-ray scanning equipment in a series of tenders beginning in 2001, in highly irregular circumstances.”

Details of the various alleged irregularities are included in the background. — Sapa