Parliament gives former RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo last chance to present himself

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) is giving former Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo one more chance to appear before it on Wednesday, or face consequences for defying a summons.

Letsoalo snubbed the committee on Tuesday, after another lawyers’ letter arguing the committee is acting outside of its powers.

Most members of Parliament (MPs) have taken a dim view of Letsoalo’s defiance and have called for him to be criminally charged.

Following weeks of testimony from former and present RAF employees, SCOPA wants to hear from Letsoalo regarding the executive appointments he made, the switch of accounting standards, and procurement matters.

ALSO READ: RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo could face criminal charges if he fails to appear before Parliament

After being stood up, the committee, once again, wrote to his attorneys asking whether he will turn up on Wednesday.

MPs said Parliament should not tolerate its summonses’ being ignored.

The uMkhotno weSizwe (MK) Party’s Thalente Kubheka said: “Whatever the outcome is of this back and forth that’s happening with Mr Letsoalo, that we do not at the end appear as parliament, to be a toothless dog.”

Meanwhile, ActionSA’s Alan Beesley had this to say: “I think we are setting a very dangerous precedent if we don’t take him into the full might of the criminal justice system because as parliament we do have an oversight responsibility.”

Should Letsoalo again fail to appear on Wednesday, the committee will proceed to hear evidence from former board members.