Media Release Monday
August 5 2002
To: News Editors/PR Wires
From: City Of
Johannesburg
Joburg suspends 22 officials
As
part of its undertaking to rid itself
of corruption, the City of
Johannesburg today suspended
Twenty-two Revenue Department officials on
suspicion of
fraud.
Council said the fraud is a direct result of customers bribing
officials to
reduce or write-off their arrears on the
system. Council has also warned
that implicated customers
believed to number tens of thousands, may not
escape the
wrath of the law as every possibility to lay charges with the
South
African Police Services against them are being fully explored.
The
latest suspensions, a product of a regular audit by the City, brings
to
52 the number of officials suspended
since last year and accounts for
several millions of Rands in the potential
loss of revenue for the City.
In May last
year, 15 officials were suspended, nine were
subsequently
dismissed whilst four resigned and
one of them was served a written
warning. Over
R2, 1 Million was involved in this case. A further 15
were
suspended in March this year. Although is it
still unclear how much was
involved in this case,
as details of this case are still pending
the
investigations by the City's disciplinary
court, millions of Rands are
suspected be involved. Over R4, 6
million is involved in the current case
but Council today said all
transactions involved have been reversed.
The City today advised
customers to come forward when experiencing problems
with their payments as
consequences of fraud could prove extremely
costly.
ENDS.
For more information
contact:
Mbangwa Xaba
Media Liaison
Tel: 407
7226
Fax: 403 3494
082 467
9230
mbangwax@joburg.org.za
Or visit our
website
www.joburg.org.za
Nthatisi Modingoane
Media
Liaison Officer
CITY OF JOHANNESBURG
Tel: (011) 407 7354
Fax: 403
3494
Cell: 082 467 9228
E-mail: nthatisem@joburg.org.za
For more
information about this wonderful City of ours, please visit our
website : www.joburg.org.za