Judge Willem Heath's special investigating unit is probing a scam involving 15 000 "ghost" workers in Northern Province, in an attempt to recover over R2-million paid out to non-existent staff last year. The ghost workers were first identified during an independent audit of the province's 125 000 listed public servants last year. The phantom workers were identified in six of the province's 10 departments, with health and welfare having the most problems.
Judge Heath's provincial investigation head, Frank Vos, said the provincial government had provided enough leads for the unit to recover a sizable portion of the loss. "Many of those responsible are actually civil servants themselves and are people who were effectively collecting double or even triple salaries," he said. "They will now have to repay every cent they weren't entitled to, plus interest."The investigation forms part of a broader recovery programme proclamated by former president Nelson Mandela on May 12. Vos said preliminary investigations were proceeding well, with the Auditor-General assisting in several related probes in Northern Province.
Source: IoL
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