Two employees at the North West Gambling Board (NWGB) have been placed on precautionary suspension while police investigations continue after two boxes of tender documents disappeared at its provincial office in Mahikeng.The board’s acting Corporate Relations Manager Lerato Mokgoje says the documents related to the appointment of a service provider.
“The missing documents contained tender bids from various service providers to provide services to the Board.These bids were stored in four boxes within a walk-in safe of which two of the boxes were removed. The Board believes that individuals accessed the safe and removed the documents without management approval or knowledge,” said Mokgoje.The incident was only discovered during the annual audit conducted by the Auditor General in the 2023/24 financial year and the matter was immediately reported to Mahikeng police station in July last year.Furthermore, Mokgoje said they intend to lay criminal charges against the two employees.
“The Board commended the South African Police Services for their rapid and efficient response to the matter. As a direct result of the combined efforts of management, employees, and the police, two employees have been placed on precautionary suspension pending further investigation. Criminal charges are expected to be filed against individuals identified as primary suspects in the case. In a proactive measure to assist the investigation, all employees and management voluntarily participated in polygraph tests,” explained Mokgoje. In addition, Mokgoje said the Accounting Authority of the Board, Boitumelo Qalinge condemned the incident and emphasized that misconduct cannot be tolerated by NWGB employees.
“The Board has zero tolerance towards corruption, gross misconduct, and criminal acts and is committed to fully cooperating with the police to bring those responsible to justice. The Board assures the public that it is taking all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of its procurement processes and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” remarked Qalinge. Qalinge further said that the incident underscores the importance of robust security measures and internal controls within public institutions to safeguard sensitive information and maintain public trust. It has reiterated its commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and serving the people of the province with integrity and transparency.