Johannesburg - The chief executive officer of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), Jackie Manche, has been suspended for failure to comply with the Public Finance and Management Act and Icasa regulations.
Icasa chairperson Paris Mashile and his council have ordered a top-level investigation into Manche's alleged violations of the Act, the Icasa Act as well as the broadcasting regulator's policies and procedures.
City Press previously reported that Manche's future at Icasa was shaky following the theft of funds from a safe at the authority's offices in Sandton, Johannesburg, and the purchase of vehicles without following tender processes.
Manche returned home from a conference in Tunisia on Sunday to find an internal investigation report that highlighted some financial irregularities at the authority.
Icasa on Thursday issued a media statement confirming Manche's "cautionery suspension", with effect from November 24, but spokesperson Jubie Matlou on Friday told City Press that there were no charges yet against Manche.
Matlou said: "It would depend on the outcome of the investigation. There are, however, serious allegations.
"The suspension is prudent, careful and not prejudiced."
The Icasa statement said: "The suspension of Ms Manche comes in the wake of the alleged violation of the Public Finance Management Act, the Icasa Act and the Icasa policies and procedure.
"To this end, council has no option but to suspend the CEO, and institute an investigation."
The general manager (broadcasting), Eric Nhlapo, who acted while Manche was away in Tunisia, has been appointed acting CEO.
City Press understands that Manche's world started crumbling after the authority's chief financial officer Bridget Mohlala resigned and left under a cloud over R110 000 that went missing from a safe.
The money, raised from the sale of computers in July, vanished between September 2 and 6.
A report compiled by the Sizwe Ntsaluba firm of accountants, which allegedly cleared Mohlala of any wrongdoing before she left to join the auditor-general's office as business executive in charge of operations and transactions, was presented before the Icasa council on Tuesday.
But the Ntsaluba Report was found to have "shortcomings" and was "not comprehensive and far-reaching in terms of facts, analysis, conclusions and recommendations", according to Matlou.
"Icasa will be calling on Sizwe Ntsaluba to interrogate the report, and seek some clarifications," he said.
Mohlala confirmed to City Press last week that police had questioned her regarding the missing funds, but that an internal investigation had cleared her as there was no evidence against her.
A police probe into the missing funds is still under way and there had been no arrests by Friday, though sources claimed an Icasa official would be nabbed this week.
City Press has learnt that, among other things, the Ntsaluba report failed to say why it had taken Manche a month to report the stolen money to the Icasa council, and that it had also not made it clear how the CEO had allegedly breached procedure on procurement of goods and services.
This, a source said on Friday, referred to the 11 vehicles - five Land-Rover Defenders, a Chrysler Voyager and five Mitsubishi Colt 2.4 four-wheel drives valued at more than R2.6m.
The vehicles were bought from Lazarus Motor Company in Centurion and Chrysler Jeep in Bryanston. It is not known if there were any discounts given and this forms part of the probe into Manche's involvement in the deals.
The internal audit committee dealt with the matter and found there had been irregularities, a source said.
Manche was not available for comment.
