An investigation into how three senior officials in the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) could have been involved in the awarding of a R225m IT contract – and then formed a company that benefited from the deal – has been completed.

But the office is mum on the findings for now.

Secretary-general of the office Memme Sejosengwe told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice that the findings and recommendations of the report are interim, and that the audi alteram partem rule must still be complied with.

Those implicated or mentioned in the report have not yet had an opportunity to reply, she said.

A Business Day report says the internal forensic investigation was completed with the assistance of SIU officials seconded to the office because of the complexity of the case. Sejosengwe asked MPs to give her office six weeks to report back on the process.

Yesterday’s briefing was the second time the committee had met in the hope of getting detailed information on the matter.

Sejosengwe said that the office consulted Thomson Reuters on the contract and business continuity, and that the system is being implemented at the Gauteng division of the High Court.

In addition, the office’s lawyers are drafting papers on the review of the subcontract with ZA Square Consulting, a company started by former CFO Casper Coetzer; former spokesperson and chief director of court administration Nathi Mncube; and former case management director Yvonne van Niekerk.

DA MP Werner Horn voiced concern that the committee had twice set a date for the OCJ to brief it on the issue, but there was ‘a veil of secrecy’ on both occasions.

‘From an oversight perspective, it is unacceptable,’ he said.

According to the Business Day report, Sejosengwe told committee members that in December 2021 the office awarded a contract to Thomson Reuters to provide software, licences, resources and support and maintenance for five years from 1 April 2022.

Thomson Reuters was required to subcontract at least 30% of the services to a qualifying small enterprise (QSE) or exempt micro-enterprise registered in SA.

In May, Thompson Reuters formally provided the office with the details of the QSE it had subcontracted to provide support and maintenance.

The company stood to earn 30% of the deal’s value, or at least R67.5m.

‘The OCJ noted at that stage that the three directors of the company were employees of the OCJ.’

Full Business Day report