Department of Agriculture backtracks on forensic investigation

The Department of Agriculture yesterday released a statement claiming that it "has lost faith in the work of Ernst & Young ... and has resolved to put the investigation [into procurement processes at Fisheries] on hold until further notice." The department now claims that the Minister received a different report to the one received by the DA. This is highly implausible, unless it was doctored by worried officials before being delivered to her office.

The department is "shocked and disappointed" that the DA has its hands on the report, but that is clearly a red herring. A report by one of the globe's leading audit firms doesn't suit the Minister's blame-shifting agenda and her department puts the investigation on hold. This raises the question of how a department under investigation could possibly have the jurisdiction to stop that same investigation. 

Minister Joemat-Pettersson has developed a strange tendency to answer all manner of questions, no matter how irrelevant, with the line "we will continue fighting corruption without fear, favour or prejudice." 

She has tried to create an expedient scapegoat in the wake of the mischief surrounding the Sekunjalo tender (to operate and maintain the state's marine patrol and research vessels) last year. After its withdrawal, the Minister contracted Ernst & Young to conduct a forensic investigation into tender procedures in her department. Curiously, the terms of reference - which we repeatedly asked to see - did not entail an investigation of the awarding of the Sekunjalo contract. It is however a matter now under investigation by the Public Protector.

The first phase of the report delivered by Ernst & Young does pick up on a number of unusual occurrences, but notes that "it is premature at this point to draw any definitive conclusions regarding irregularities and liability in regard to the procurement process relating to the main agreement, the addenda and extensions thereto, as well as, payments made to Smit Amandla Marine (SAM)." This is not exactly the level of corruption that the Minister had hoped to uncover. 

Now that the ground is collapsing beneath the Minister's feet, we wonder which straw man she will next construct to justify her incompetence.

Statement issued by Pieter van Dalen MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, October 19 2012

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