Greg Orsmond, the managing director of the Witness Group and Fever Newspaper Group, has been fired following a charge of “gross negligence”, parent company Media24 has said.
A report on the Fever’s Facebook page said Orsmond had been dismissed on April 30.
“I have no comment on this matter,” was all Orsmond would say when contacted by The Mercury yesterday.
Investigative magazine Noseweek claimed he was fired after storming out of a Media24 disciplinary hearing, declaring it was “a set-up”.
Noseweek said since Media24 had “swallowed up” the Witness Group, it had been “spitting out staff with a frenzy hardly imaginable in the sleepy hollow of Pietermaritzburg” with the “biggest casualty of the purge” being Orsmond.
While Media24 spokeswoman Lutfia Vayej did not respond to queries, she was quoted in the Fever saying that Orsmond’s dismissal was “related to dishonesty in the performance of his duties”.
An internal staff memo circulated at the Witness said Orsmond’s dismissal was the result of a complaint of “alleged dishonesty brought to the attention of Media24 via the company’s anonymous whistle-blower hotline”.
However, Orsmond told the paper that he was not dismissed, but had resigned.
“The disciplinary hearings proceeded without me. I now have 30 days to take the matter further,” said Orsmond.
Vayej said the disciplinary inquiry found “evidence of dishonesty as well as gross violation of Media24’s policies and procedures”.
She said any violation of company policies and procedures was viewed in a serious light.
Last May the Competition Commission gave the go-ahead for Media24 to wholly acquire the Witness Group and its subsidiaries, which included the Fever Newspaper Group.
The South Coast Fever was started by the Moss family in 1997 and Orsmond has been involved with the business for years. - The Mercury