Office of chief justice reviews all supply chain processes after R225m IT tender revelation

17 June 2022 - 20:11
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Thomson Reuters won a contract from the office of the chief justice (OCJ) to supply court software. The OCJ says its internal review process of its supply chain management processes will be completed within the next three months. File photo.
Thomson Reuters won a contract from the office of the chief justice (OCJ) to supply court software. The OCJ says its internal review process of its supply chain management processes will be completed within the next three months. File photo.
Image: 123RF/LUKAS GOJDA

The office of the chief justice (OCJ) said on Friday that an internal review of all its supply chain management processes is likely to be completed within the next three months.

It had decided to take this step after the revelation that a company owned by former officials of the OCJ was appointed as a subcontractor in a R225m IT contract awarded by the OCJ.

The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that three top officials stand accused of corruptly setting themselves up for a large slice of the contract after they helped to strike the deal.

The three — former CFO Casper Coetzer, former spokesperson and chief director of court administration Nathi Mncube and former case management director Yvonne van Niekerk — all resigned last month and served their last day on the job on May 31. 

The next day, they began new jobs as local partners to multinational media and technology organisation Thomson Reuters, which was awarded the R225m, six-year contract by the OCJ.

“This is being done to ensure that ways are found to enhance the OCJ’s technical capacity to further strengthen internal controls in the area of SCM [supply chain management],” the OCJ said in a statement on Friday.

Further to this, the office is conducting a review of active contracts for any impropriety, particularly within the information communications technology space.

“The OCJ takes seriously its fiduciary duty to manage and protect state resources entrusted to it.

“To this end, the OCJ bears the responsibility to ensure that, where a perception of wrongdoing or actual wrongdoing is established in a procurement process, that such wrongdoing is readily identified and the OCJ will seek legal counsel to determine the best way forward guided by the applicable government prescripts.”

The OCJ said it was taking a prudent approach to releasing specific details on its ongoing review of contracts so as not to jeopardise any future legal processes or investigations that might ensue.

TimesLIVE 

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.