Letsoalo questions SCOPA's authority to conduct inquiry into RAF’s financial affairs

Former Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo is questioning the authority of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) to conduct an inquiry into the financial affairs of the agency.

Letsoalo said he believes SCOPA is the wrong committee for this undertaking and that instead it should be Parliament’s transport portfolio committee who should take on the task.

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In correspondence to the committee which it discussed on Friday, Letsoalo said it’s unclear why he’s being requested to appear as a witness and to respond to allegations being made about the management of the fund during his tenure, which ended in August.

In his latest letter to SCOPA, a day before it began its inquiry, Letsoalo cast doubt on the legality of the inquiry, saying it failed to consult with the transport committee first.

He also said that public statements made by SCOPA chairperson Songezo Zibi suggest that the committee has already come to a conclusion about the outcome.

“You are unlikely going to bring an impartial mind to this important inquiry and may well in the interest of just and fair process recuse yourself from the inquiry,” he wrote in his letter.

Letsoalo said while he’s willing to appear before Parliament to respond to evidence by witnesses, he will only do so where sworn statements have been provided, and that all supporting documentation considered by the inquiry should also be provided to him.

“However, I will only address allegations supported by sworn witness statements, not rumours or anonymous claims,” he said.

Zibi said when considering last week’s testimony from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that Letsoalo had been unresponsive in assisting in investigations, it can’t allow him to dictate to the committee when he will present himself.

“The committee is of the view that it has the oversight authority to conduct this inquiry. We’ve already decided to have an inquiry, the committee voted on it. The committee deliberated on it and agreed.”

The committee will now write to Letsoalo to inform him of dates when he’s expected to appear near the end of the inquiry, to respond to the testimony given.