WEBVTT - Developments regarding murdered auditor

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<v Speaker 1>Well, let's focus now on the story that was reading

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<v Speaker 1>and leading in Bali Lameni's bulletin earlier. This is further

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<v Speaker 1>insight now into what was behind the assassination of Marforll,

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<v Speaker 1>a senior auditor in the city of Ikurreleni. Now you

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<v Speaker 1>may recall my colleague Alfa Ramashwana was earlier this year

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<v Speaker 1>looking into a massive electricity billing scandal that cost the

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<v Speaker 1>city more than two billion rand and he's with us

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<v Speaker 1>now to draw connections between what actually happened with that

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<v Speaker 1>billing scandal on the one hand, and the tragedy and

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<v Speaker 1>criminality of the slaying of Marfolle. Alpha. Welcome, good to

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<v Speaker 1>have you with us. I know you've been digging for

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of days and we've been very keen to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you while you've been quietly beavering away. First

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<v Speaker 1>of all, before you give us a sense of why

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<v Speaker 1>you believe and people are saying to you there is

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<v Speaker 1>a connection between those two things, just outline briefly for

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<v Speaker 1>us what that billing is scandal was about, just so

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<v Speaker 1>we're all up to speed before you get into the

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<v Speaker 1>breaking news.

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<v Speaker 2>Good oftenoon John So Between July twenty twenty three and

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty four, there was a massive billion crisis in

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<v Speaker 2>the city of Agurulene which led to a two billion

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<v Speaker 2>rand revenue short for So essentially the city lost two

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<v Speaker 2>billion rand in revenue and this included this billing system

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<v Speaker 2>crisis included the manipulation of electricity accounts, so about one thousand,

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<v Speaker 2>six hundred and sixty electricity accounts were tempered with, meaning

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<v Speaker 2>households and businesses were paying much less than they're supposed

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<v Speaker 2>supposed to be in a guruleny and some accounts were

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<v Speaker 2>completely wiped off the system. So all of those one thousand,

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<v Speaker 2>six hundred and sixty accounts were supposed to bring two

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<v Speaker 2>billion rand in revenue in the city and that was

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<v Speaker 2>lost because of this syndicate. Now, the question that was

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<v Speaker 2>asked by the municipalities that who is behind this syndicate

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<v Speaker 2>and the tempering of electricity accounts diverting the city's revenue

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<v Speaker 2>to you know, other bank accounts which they don't know about.

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<v Speaker 2>The city then instituted a forensic investigation. I think the

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<v Speaker 2>Auditor General as always roped in to investigate this and

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<v Speaker 2>they found that the billion crisis started in the ICT

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<v Speaker 2>department and officials and number officials were suspended. In fact,

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<v Speaker 2>two technicians at a warrant of arrest was issued for them,

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<v Speaker 2>and in April, a senior city official was suspended from

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<v Speaker 2>the municipality for negligence.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so that is the background. Now you are saying,

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<v Speaker 1>having done some digging and ask questions of the right people,

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<v Speaker 1>that the murder of Pole, who'd only been in the

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<v Speaker 1>job for three months, is connected to what you've just described.

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<v Speaker 1>For us, who's saying this and what makes them say so?

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<v Speaker 2>Was the head of forensic investigations in the City of Kuruleni,

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<v Speaker 2>and the city had tasked that department with investigating the

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<v Speaker 2>two billion rand electricity short for preliminary investigations had told

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<v Speaker 2>them that the iced icit department was negligent, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>why the head of that department was sus negligentest negligent

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<v Speaker 2>according to the city negligent, yes, and that's why the

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<v Speaker 2>head of that department was suspended in April. Now started

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<v Speaker 2>shortly before that, actually at the City of Agurulene was

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<v Speaker 2>working with the Auditor General before that and they conducted

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<v Speaker 2>a more thorough investigation into the matter. He drew up

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<v Speaker 2>a charge sheet and on the day that he submitted

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<v Speaker 2>the charge sheet to the municipality, he was murdered on

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<v Speaker 2>that very same evening. So we spoke to the may

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<v Speaker 2>of Aguruliny today, who in fact confirmed on the record

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<v Speaker 2>that he was made at after submitting the charge sheet,

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<v Speaker 2>which implicated a number of city officials, a number of

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<v Speaker 2>people in the billing crisis which lost two billion red

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<v Speaker 2>for the city. And at this moment we can't divulge

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<v Speaker 2>further for safety reasons, of course, but the charge sheet

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<v Speaker 2>does tell us who exactly is involved in this syndicate.

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<v Speaker 2>That these are the conferents the mayor gave us today.

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<v Speaker 1>It is an extraordinary story. Did the mayor indicate in

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<v Speaker 1>any way whether, as mister the late mister Mark Fole

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<v Speaker 1>approached the point where he was able to put down

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<v Speaker 1>names and assemble a charge sheet, whether he'd have any

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<v Speaker 1>prior threats, And did he, further, if that was the case,

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<v Speaker 1>say anything about steps that might have been taken, if

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<v Speaker 1>any were to secure his personal safety.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I mean, we hear government officials speaking

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<v Speaker 2>about the protection of auditors and whistle blowers a lot,

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<v Speaker 2>but that was not something he touched on today. But

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<v Speaker 2>I did have a chat with the family, and the

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<v Speaker 2>family in fact confirmed to me that they knew that

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<v Speaker 2>he was working on something big. They knew that he

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<v Speaker 2>was about to uncover corruption, and he had told him

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<v Speaker 2>that he had just submitted a report which details widespread

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<v Speaker 2>corruption in the city of Guruleni. So the municipality could

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<v Speaker 2>not confirm whether or not he had told them that

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<v Speaker 2>there were threats on his side. But the family, on

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<v Speaker 2>the other hand, did say that they are aware that

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<v Speaker 2>something big was happening as far as his job is concerned.

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<v Speaker 1>And just finally and briefly, because I know you need

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<v Speaker 1>at this moment alpha to be guarded about this, but

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<v Speaker 1>the names are out there. Now does does this go

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<v Speaker 1>high up into the administration at the Courrillni.

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<v Speaker 2>So, yeah, that the charge sheets, there's actually a detailed

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<v Speaker 2>report on this issue. It's still with the auditing team

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<v Speaker 2>in the city of Egurillenni. We're expected to be taken

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<v Speaker 2>to the Hawks because the city wants the Hawks to

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<v Speaker 2>be involved in this, and possibly once the Hawks are involved,

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<v Speaker 2>then we're going to see more action being taken against

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<v Speaker 2>those people who are named that charge sheet. But at

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<v Speaker 2>this moment, the mayor did say that accountability is going

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<v Speaker 2>to come. He made a promise to the family, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think that you know something. We're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>seen in the next coming days or weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>Alpha Ramashwana, many thanks. I've been on Alpha's case for

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<v Speaker 1>the last couple of days, saying what have you got?

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<v Speaker 1>What have you got? An? Alpha, as I think you

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<v Speaker 1>can see now, was determined to make sure that he

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<v Speaker 1>got all the pieces together. There's plenty more to follow.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure stay tuned, stay listening to our bulletins, not

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<v Speaker 1>just today, but EWN right on top of the story.

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<v Speaker 1>Alpha was on it before it even broke some months back,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm quite sure he's going to dig for more

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<v Speaker 1>and find more. It's twenty eight minutes to four