PARLIAMENT - The cost for the services of a law firm doing a forensic probe at the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) ballooned from just under R500 000 to R9.6 million despite objections from National Treasury, MPs were told on Tuesday.
Briefing Parliament's standing committee on public accounts, Sita executives admitted that they had extended the scope of Bowmans forensic probe into dodgy IT contracts the agency entered into on behalf of the State without getting the necessary approval from Treasury.
"They were appointed and they did the work so the request for extension actually went to National Treasury late and by then they [Bowmans] had already started working," Sita chief financial officer Rudzani Rasikhinya explained.
MPs were not happy, with Scopa chairman Thembi Godi commenting: "When National Treasury said no, you said the horse had bolted out of the stable already".
Rasikhinya said two executives would be "held accountable" for "due process" not being followed.
"There are two people that are going to be held accountable for this issue. The person who was the acting executive for internal audit and also the executive for SCM [supply chain management]...," she said.
"The executive for SCM is currently on suspension..the charges are being prepared. I don't have details on whether they have been served yet."
Sita said it would report back to Scopa by month end on the outcome of the forensic probes.