The CAA has a strange way of getting into the news. The Star reports:
Ex - Scorpion sought over R110 000 theft -January 23, 2006
By Shaun Smillie
The former chief financial officer of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa is on the run.
By last night police, who have issued a warrant of arrest, had yet to apprehend Bridget Mohlala, who is accused of stealing R110 000 from a safe in Icasa's offices.
According to police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht, her arrest was imminent. "The investigating officer told me on Friday that he was gathering information regarding her whereabouts," Martins-Engelbrecht said last night.
Mohlala, who worked for the Scorpions before joining Icasa, is the police's prime suspect in the theft of R110 000.
The money, which went missing from a safe in the communication regulator's Joburg offices, had apparently been raised from the sale of second-hand computers.
An official at Icasa, who wanted to remain nameless, said the money was placed in a safe in early September. The money disappeared but was reported to police and the Icasa council only about a month later.
The then-chief executive of Icasa, Jackie Manche, apparently ordered a hushed internal probe, which - according to the Icasa official - was rushed and later found to be "full of holes".
City Press newspaper reported yesterday that Manche and Mohlala were close friends.
A second investigation was then ordered by the Icasa board.
"It became apparent that the matter had to be reported to the police," said the Icasa official. The investigation allegedly discovered that Mohlala had access to both keys needed to open the safe, but that these keys were not secured properly. The keys were apparently left in Mohlala's personal assistant's drawer in an open-plan office.
Mohlala now works for the Auditor-General's office, where she is a business executive in charge of operations and transaction management.
Manche was suspended by Icasa on November 24 last year. One of the alleged reasons is that she did not report the theft immediately to the Icasa council.
If I m not mistaken, Ms B Mohlala is a member of the CAA Board and Chairperson of the Board's Finance Committee!
Now that comes after
* The recent suspension of the GM Corporate Services, Terrance Naidoo
* The suspension of the HR Manager, disciplinary proceedings still underway.
* The suspension and firing of the legal manager, KC Marobela (The CAA lost that one at the CCMA and paid - your & my money!)
* The suspension and firing of the IT manager, Ancil Lee (The CAA lost that at the CCMA and due to pay big bucks again)
* The suspension without any action against the IT officer, Brandon Davids who finally resigned and went off to work overseas.
* The suspension and firing of the Senior Communications Manager, Trevor Davids
* The suspension, disciplinary action and non-renewal of ole Trevor's contract a few years ago (here there's quite a bit of legal backlash on that one too - Seems CAA has budgeted some R2m in case they loose this one too)
* disciplinary action and eventual resignation of Murad Ismail
and the list goes on and on.
Very hazardous to associate yourself with this organization, I'd say.
