The commission said it is aware of the clearly orchestrated recent flurry of messages on Twitter circulating inaccurate information about the testimonies made by witnesses and the proceedings of the commission. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
The judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of impropriety at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) will continue with public hearings this week and has sent out a stern reproach against Twitter accounts spreading fake news about the proceedings.
The commission said it is aware of the “clearly orchestrated recent flurry of messages” on Twitter circulating inaccurate information about the testimonies made by witnesses and the proceedings of the commission.
“The spreading of such disinformation appears to reflect a measure of desperation by some parties who may be affected by the information coming into the public domain of the hearings,” said the commission in a statement released last week.
The commission is headed by retired judge Lex Mpati.
Last week, the commission heard evidence of how the PIC board had become fractured and divided after allegations of corruption surfaced against former chief executive Dan Matjila. Non-executive board members, including board chairperson and deputy finance minister Mondli Gungubele, told the commission that the board was “split in the middle” on how to deal with the allegations against Matjila.
The witnesses also relayed how they were essentially pushed out of the PIC by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni when allegations of impropriety surfaced against four members of the board in January. On a call to Gungubele, Mboweni told the board to either resign or be fired by the end of the weekend.
The commission heard from the PIC’s acting secretary Wilna Louw that the state asset manager received a notice of compliance from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) instructing it to retrieve the R4.3-billion investment it made into Ayo Technology Solutions.
The Ayo transaction has received a lot of attention during the commission’s proceedings after board members suspended two PIC employees for flouting governance and approval processes. One of the employees was due to testify at the commission on the morning that he was informed of his suspension.
“The Ayo transaction is the first of a series of investigations that the Commission is conducting, and witnesses will testify in respect of a number of transactions that will be presented at public hearings once completed,” said the commission.
The commission will hold public hearings until Wednesday and the witnesses due to appear will be revealed at a later stage.