The high court in Pretoria on Friday set aside suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s April 22 report concerning the appointment of a service provider to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
The document probed allegations of maladministration and improper conduct related to procurement processes by Sars in the appointment of Budge, Barone & Dominick, which rendered IT services to the tax collector.
The court ruled that the findings and remedial action were unlawful and invalid.
TimesLIVE previously reported that Mkhwebane said in the report that the Hawks were asked to consider investigating successive Sars commissioners regarding a R100m contract which did not go up for tender and was renewed more than 10 times from 2007.
The contract remained in force and had, to date, cost taxpayers R1.3bn.
The commissioners who renewed the contract were Oupa Magashula, Ivan Pillay, Tom Moyane and Edward Kieswetter. It commenced during Pravin Gordhan's tenure as Sars commissioner.
The suspended public protector said the revenue collector irregularly appointed Budge, Barone & Dominick in 2007 to provide strategic services without following proper procurement processes.
In August, the same court set aside the report in each instance related to Pillay as Sars deputy commissioner.
TimesLIVE
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Another blow for Mkhwebane: Court sets aside PP's Sars IT contract report
Image: Tebogo Letsie
The high court in Pretoria on Friday set aside suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s April 22 report concerning the appointment of a service provider to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
The document probed allegations of maladministration and improper conduct related to procurement processes by Sars in the appointment of Budge, Barone & Dominick, which rendered IT services to the tax collector.
The court ruled that the findings and remedial action were unlawful and invalid.
TimesLIVE previously reported that Mkhwebane said in the report that the Hawks were asked to consider investigating successive Sars commissioners regarding a R100m contract which did not go up for tender and was renewed more than 10 times from 2007.
The contract remained in force and had, to date, cost taxpayers R1.3bn.
The commissioners who renewed the contract were Oupa Magashula, Ivan Pillay, Tom Moyane and Edward Kieswetter. It commenced during Pravin Gordhan's tenure as Sars commissioner.
The suspended public protector said the revenue collector irregularly appointed Budge, Barone & Dominick in 2007 to provide strategic services without following proper procurement processes.
In August, the same court set aside the report in each instance related to Pillay as Sars deputy commissioner.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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