Forensic Data Analysts (FDA), the company accused of corrupt tender practices and of threatening national security by switching off three off the police's systems, "strongly denies" that it has ties to right-wing terrorist group, the Boeremag.
The after it emerged at Wednesday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that a cabal, that has been operating at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and which is part of FDA dealings with the police and SITA, had ties with the Boeremag.
FDA said in a statement that to suggest that its software services are being run from a prison cell, is a "completely unfounded quantum leap".
"The motives behind such theories stand to be scrutinised, due to the potentially divisive effects thereof," the statement reads.
FDA claims that the several allegations against it emerged after it was approached by former SITA employees about two years ago, "demanding that FDA give away a significant portion of its shares for no counter value".
"FDA refused the unlawful demand and reported the matter to SITA," reads the company's statement.
"This damaging campaign against FDA, ending in a mythical Boeremag takeover plot, has meant that FDA has not been paid since October 2017, resulting in the retrenchment of 62 hardworking and dedicated staff members."
"FDA will fight these baseless lies to see justice for the organisation and its employees."
At the meeting, DA MP Tim Brauteseth referred to correspondence between current and former employees of SITA and convicted Boeremag member Andre du Toit.
One of these former SITA employees, Banie Venter, dealt with the Rofin-contract between SITA and the FDA as a business case originator, who develops a case for the contract. He was also involved in the negotiation of the contract.
The order for the Rofin-contract was generated on March 31, 2016, at 16:57 for an amount of R52.9m. The invoice was then submitted and payment was made, all on the same day. This was the last day of the financial year.
The IPID found this "clearly demonstrates corruption through fiscal dumping", and SITA's own investigation also found irregularities with the contract, leading to Venter's suspension.
In November last year, Brauteseth opened a Pandora's box of what Scopa members described as corrupt dealings between SITA, which procures services and goods for the police, and FDA. The committee recommended that SITA look at their contracts with FDA again and stop paying them.
This culminated in FDA switching off three of the police's systems on April 4. The systems have since been switched back on.
FDA director Keith Keating is also alleged to have bribed former acting police commissioner and corruption accused Khomotso Phahlane by paying, via a middleman, for vehicles for Phahlane and his wife Beauty. This matter is still before the court.
At Wednesday's meeting, it also emerged that Beauty Phahlane, who is still at her post in the police, despite standing accused of corruption, wrote a letter to police commissioner Lieutenant General Khehla Sitole, wanting to know who turned the systems back on.
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