LOBAMBA – Government might not be able to recover all the monies that were allegedly looted as overtime claims by government officials.
This is because some of them have either died or retired.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Principal Secretary (PS) Nanikie Mnisi said one of the drivers died after being made aware that, since he had allegedly received the overtime illegally, he was expected to repay it.
Though Mnisi did not elaborate, she said the scandal is just too deep.
"Some of the drivers have retired. One came to me; he got the money for four months and said it is still in his account. He is prepared to pay it back," the PS said.
She said others have reported that they now suffer from high blood pressure as they found themselves earning money they did not know about.
Mnisi presented a copy of the report to the PAC Chairperson, Madala Mhlanga as she laid bare the inner workings of the sophisticated scheme that siphoned around E11.9 million from government coffers through fraudulent overtime claims and fuel theft.
She said her own internal investigations uncovered a far wider network than initially suspected. The PS said she became suspicious shortly after assuming office in 2023.
As part of her oversight responsibilities, she requested payroll records from the ministry's Finance and Accounts Department, believing that regular scrutiny of payroll documentation was essential for financial accountability.
Upon reviewing both monthly salary payments and quarterly disbursements, she noticed unusual increases in expenditure that appeared inconsistent with staffing levels.
Mnisi said the ministry's salary bill was rising despite no significant recruitment of new personnel.
Further scrutiny showed that substantial overtime payments were being made without the required authorisation. Concerned by the irregularities, she instructed the Human Resources Department to investigate whether overtime payments were being processed without her knowledge as controlling officer.
The investigation initially pointed to several drivers who appeared to be beneficiaries without being approved through the proper channels.
Mnisi said she personally engaged some of the drivers, many of whom worked closely with ministry officials and were responsible for duties such as refuelling government vehicles.
However, efforts to obtain supporting documentation for the payments proved unsuccessful. She subsequently instructed that the practice be stopped.
Mnisi claimed information emerged suggesting that the irregular payments were not confined to drivers.
The issue later attracted public attention and was reported in the media, prompting further scrutiny from the auditor general.
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