Give SABC interim board a chance, says Vadi

The SABC interim board should be given a chance to investigate allegations of corruption in its international acquisitions, parliamentary communications portfolio committee head Ismail Vadi said on Thursday.

"The specific cases are currently being dealt with by the interim board," said Vadi in a statement.

Vadi was reacting to an open letter sent to him by United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa.

In the letter, made public on Thursday, Holomisa calls for a committee meeting to discuss the allegations, which he said were detailed in extracts of an apparently legitimate internal audit report he had received.

Vadi expressed appreciation to Holomisa for bringing the audit extracts to his attention, but said that it would be "premature at this stage" to convene a special meeting.

"The Office of the Auditor-General had in fact fully investigated the allegations and reported on them both to Parliament and to the interim board," Vadi said.

He said the interim board had assured the committee that all matters identified in the Auditor General's report would be thoroughly and expeditiously dealt with.

"It is appropriate for the interim board to be given the opportunity to follow the processes that it has put in place to address this matter along with the other allegations."

Earlier this week, interim board chairwoman Irene Charnley told the parliamentary committee that the board was contesting a R1billion contract.

The deal, which came to light in its examination of the corporation's financial records, was revealed in a presentation to the committee in Cape Town.

Details could not be made public as the matter was under investigation.

However the SABC said criminal charges could be brought against entities identified in the Auditor General's report on the SABC.

A preliminary report had been forwarded to the police.

SABC board - discussion

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