Health MEC must come clean on senior official's R16m fraud charge
Gauteng Health MEC Hope Papo has failed to answer questions on senior Gauteng Health Department official Hans Ramogale who faces a R16 million tender fraud charge and was previously found guilty of procurement irregularities and sanctioned (see report).
The MEC must answer on progress made in the investigation within the 14 day deadline. He has not and therefore has to provide an explanation to a sitting of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, 20 November.
My follow up question was prompted by information received from the Health Department in May this year that no action had yet been taken because they only obtained the report after I had queried the matter with them.
In the meantime, in documents leaked to the media it has been indicated that Mr Ramogale has been found guilty of procurement irregularities and was given a sanction of a final written warning and 3 months suspension without pay. This is a severe penalty, being just short of a dismissal. Mr Ramogale claims to be unaware of such disciplinary action.
I will now ask the Health MEC questions to obtain the following information:
a) The accused has indicated that he is ignorant of any disciplinary action. The provincial government must indicate when where hearings conducted and what notice was served on Mr Ramogale in this regard and at which hearings did he or a representative appear?
b) The outcome is a severe penalty which appears to confirm the seriousness of the charges. Why was an alternative to dismissal applied instead of an outright termination?
c) Has this matter been referred to the SAPS? If not, why not?
The fact that this matter was conveniently buried until I snooped around and the fact that Mr Ramogale has not been dismissed seems to indicate that he enjoys the protection of someone quite senior in the organisation.
I will ask the provincial government whether this aspect has been investigated or has this been yet another form of corruption that has been allowed to proliferate.
Statement issued by Mike Moriarty MPL, DA Gauteng Finance Spokesperson, November 13 2012
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