BL Premium reports that Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo has been placed on leave pending a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) inquiry into multimillion-rand contracts and tenders at the fund.

The RAF board decided to place Letsoalo on leave at a special meeting on Tuesday, transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi confirmed. The SIU has been investigating RAF management after the entity signed a R79m lease for a Joburg building with Mowana Properties. Letsoalo approved the contract against the recommendation of a bid evaluation committee. A preliminary SIU report allegedly “implicated Letsoalo in possible wrongdoing” in the contract. “The CEO will be on special leave until the conclusion of the relevant investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), or such earlier date as the board may determine. The board has indicated that this is a precautionary measure and does not constitute disciplinary action or presumption of guilt,” Msibi said. He added that the decision was taken as a precautionary step, but “does not imply any prejudgment or adverse finding against the CEO”. The RAF has appointed Phathutshedzo Lukhwareni as acting CEO. The move to place Letsoalo on leave comes amid reports that the SIU faced issues in its investigation while he remained in office.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
• Read too, RAF boss placed on special leave amid SIU corruption probe, at News24 Business (subscription / trial registration required)
• And also, RAF CEO’s special leave not disciplinary action, says Transport Department, at SABC News

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