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It has been alleged that a member of the troubled North West Gambling Board has solicited bribes.
The allegations of bribe solicitation have emerged as the provincial government is yet to implement recommendations of a damning forensic report on the same organisation.
City Press reported in December on the report which revealed that millions of rands were squandered through misconduct, fraud and gross negligence by board members.
The report recommended that, among other things, the board be dissolved following some dubious decisions as well as excessive claims submitted by its members – some of whose appointments were questioned.
Now, a gambling operating company; Goldrush Group, which has been locked in a wrangle with the gambling board following the non-renewal and later suspension of its licenses is asking for a probe into their claims that a board member had asked one of their officials for a bribe.
Goldrush believes that the board’s actions over its licenses was as a result of them not agreeing to pay.
“Facilitation Fee”
City Press has seen a seven page; July 18, 2019 letter written by Goldrush to Premier Job Mokgoro’s office in a bid to get the highest office in the province to launch a probe into bribe allegations.
Goldrush’s operator licenses were not renewed earlier in January 2019 and later suspended in June 2019 for non-compliance on shareholding after the company’s shares went beyond the permitted threshold where 60% has to be held by local previously disadvantaged individuals (PDIs) in the province.
“In June, before the suspension; an attempt was made to solicit a bribe from Goldrush in order to secure more favourable treatment for the company,” the letter to Mokgoro which is signed by Goldrush chief executive officer, Mergan Naidoo, reads.
The company alleges that a meeting was facilitated by the gambling board’s investigator and licensing manager, Morongoa Moss, for the board’s deputy chairperson, Lerato Seepe, and the gambling operator’s director, Joseph Thejane.
According to the latter, Thejane agreed to meet Seepe at Hartebeespoort to “discuss possible solution to the Goldrush matter” on June 13, 2019.
“At this meeting Ms Seepe told Mr Thejane that if Goldrush wanted its ‘problem’ to go away…it should pay her and three other board members R100 000 each (i.e. R400 000 in total. She described this as a ‘facilitation fee’,” the letter reads.
It goes on to explain that the board suspended Goldrush licenses two weeks later on June 27, 2019 following the meeting and the company not agreeing to pay the alleged bribe.
He who alleges must prove
The gambling board has confirmed reception of a letter dated October 15, 2019 from Goldrush’s attorneys raising the same issues contained in a letter to Mokgoro.
Montshioa said their attorneys were requested to “submit evidentiary proof” which he said they were yet to receive and “therefore delaying the finalisation of the investigation”.
Montshioa added: “He who alleges must prove…this is a trite principle”. He explained that they have promised to investigate the allegations but could not due to lack of evidence.
Goldrush said in response: “No additional documents have been submitted to the board but there is sufficient information that has been provided to the board for it to investigate”.
Seepe did not deny meeting Thejane but refuted allegations against her.
She said Goldrush were actually the ones who “requested meetings with individual board members in order for their issue to be resolved outside given processes”.
“My meeting with Thejane took place at his request even after their licenses were not renewed…so how could I even help them or ask for a bribe for that matter and why did they not report my bribe request to relevant authorities? “ she asked.
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