Cape Town - Mayor Patricia de Lille has slammed the Bowman’s forensic report into allegations of corruption and maladministration in the City of Cape Town.
“It is with great disappointment and dismay that I once again have to deal with the repercussions of council information, which was leaked maliciously by faceless, nameless and useless people, to injure my good name,” De Lille said in a statement.
De Lille said she has repeatedly taken issue with the credibility of Bowmans, ever since the inception of this investigation.
“The initial report issued by Bowmans, on 29 December 2017 made a number of 'factual findings' which were inaccurate or simply baseless. I wrote to them on 3 January 2018 requesting them to retract a number 'recommendations' made by themselves on issues which they had not even questioned me on.
“My request for them to delete misinformation in that report was met with their rejection. On 5 January 2018, when council adopted the unedited report, even though I went on the record to say that there were a number of material factual errors up which Bowmans made 'highly prejudicial ‘findings’, ‘conclusions’, and ‘recommendations’,” she said.
De Lille said one such "factual finding" was that she had provided the DA leader Mmusi Maimane, a copy of forensic reports.
"Maimane later confirmed in writing that I had not given him any documents.
“I was defamed. I was embarrassed by the false accusations, but I still welcomed the investigation, and actively participated when my turn came,” she said.
Law firm Bowman Gilfillan’s report, compiled by lawyer Randall van Voore, into corruption and maladministration at the City of Cape Town will be tabled before council on Wednesday.
Councillors will have to consider if criminal charges should be pursued against De Lille, Mayco member for Transport and Urban Development Brett Herron, suspended transport commissioner Melissa Whitehead and a string of officials.
The 2000-page report delves into the suspected acts of corruption relating to a tender for electric buses by Chinese manufacturer BYD, and De Lille preventing former City manager Achmat Ebrahim from reporting irregularities with a R40 million tender to procure bus chassis from Volvo.