Days after being awarded a multimillion-rand contract to monitor hardened criminals on parole, a Pretoria company is the subject of a forensic investigation.
Engineered Systems Solutions was last week awarded a contract by the Correctional Services Department to electronically monitor 157 prisoners to be released on parole.
In December 2011, ESS secured a R6.5-million tender to run a year-long pilot to monitor 90 parolees and establish a control centre.
The system, developed and tested in Israel, is punted as a cost-saver, reducing the money the department spends on prisoners daily from R327 to R197.
But the department yesterday announced an inquiry into ESS, which is to be conducted by forensic auditing firm KPMG.
Spokesman for the department Manelisi Wolela said the investigation would determine if there was substance to allegations that the bid process might have been interfered with.
ESS CEO Mario Ferreira said: "We will cooperate irrespective of who is investigating or what they are investigating."
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
