The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has joined in a court row over the cancellation of a contract to electronically monitor 562 parolees, citing security clearance concerns.
The unit has brought an application to intervene in an urgent application by Engineered Systems Solution (ESS) against the Department of Correctional Services.
ESS has asked the high court in Pretoria to interdict the department from enforcing an alleged July 1 cancellation of the five-year monitoring contract.
The urgent application was due to be heard on July 18, but it was removed from the roll because of the SIU application.
The SIU said it was also in the process of preparing an application to review and set aside all the decisions underpinning the award of two tenders to ESS.
In an application to intervene in ESS's urgent application filed on July 18, the SIU's Cornelius du Toit said the unit conducted an investigation following a proclamation by President Jacob Zuma last year.
Zuma wanted the unit to investigate the affairs of the Department of Correctional Services in relation to contracts awarded to ESS and payments made in that regard.
Du Toit said the SIU started the investigations in May last year and certain aspects of the investigation were still ongoing.
"The SIU investigation revealed that a number of irregularities had occurred in the procurement processes."
One of the most serious irregularities was the failure of ESS and its employees to have the correct security clearance, he said.
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