SIU raids National Lotteries Commission in corruption and maladministration investigation

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on Tuesday raided the offices of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) as part of its investigation into allegations of corruption and maladministration.

“We are here. We were granted a search warrant yesterday [Monday] to come and get documents from the commission and all other areas where we can find the documents,” said SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, speaking from the commission’s offices in Pretoria.

He said the search and seizure operation was in relation to an investigation they were doing under proclamation 32 of 2020.

The proclamation was signed in October and gazetted in November.

“We are asked, through allegations that were put through, to investigate malpractice and maladministration at the Lotteries Commission,” he said.

“We are in the process of gathering information to make sure we look at it. The proclamation says we must investigate all the transactions from January 1 2014 until the date of the proclamation.

“We are looking at the granting of disbursements that were done,” Kganyago said.

Allegations the SIU is investigating at the NLC include:

• Serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the NLC;
• Unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money or property;
• Improper or unlawful conduct by employees or officials of the NLC;
• Unlawful, irregular or unapproved acquisitive acts, transactions, measures or practices having a bearing upon state property; and
• Intentional or negligent loss of public money or damage to public property.

On Tuesday afternoon, the commission said in the recent past  "the NLC has undergone two investigations, one commissioned by the NLC Board through independent audit firm SkX Protiviti to look into the alleged improper use of funds intended for good causes, and another instituted by the trade, industry and competition minister."

"The findings of the two investigations are yet to be finalised or communicated.

"As with all previous internal and external investigations, the NLC will cooperate fully with the SIU process until its completion."

Saying its daily operations remain unaffected, the commission said "the Board and management of the NLC wish to once again reiterate its commitment to clean governance as they provide strategic direction to and accountability over the running of the NLC".

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