FORMER PROJECT MANAGER FOR A MINING COMPANY SENTENCED FOR CORRUPTION
GAUTENG – Wade Ashton Leaf (57) appeared in the Palmridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday, 04 July 2023 for sentencing on a charge of corruption.
Over the period between October 2020 and September 2022 Sibanye Still Water issued a tender for remedial works on tailings dam in North West, Rustenburg worth eighty million rand (R80 000 000). After submissions were made the tender bid evaluation and adjudication committee noticed that the tender bid information for both companies was exactly the same.
Preliminary investigation was conducted and a case was opened and transferred to the Germiston based Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team for further exploration. The Hawks probe revealed that the former project manager of Frazer Alexander Pty (Ltd) Mr Leaf colluded with Paragon Tailings Pty (Ltd) by leaking tender bid information of his employer to help the competitor Paragon Tailings Pty (Ltd) to get the tender in exchange for a subcontract. Paragon Tailings Pty (Ltd) withdrew from the bid right after investigations ensued.
Leaf was arrested and subsequently released on R10 000 bail on 23 August 2022, he made several court appearances until he pleaded guilty on a charge of corruption. He was sentenced to a fine of R100 000 or serve five (5) years imprisonment, half of the sentence was suspended for a period of five years with conditions. Furthermore the accused was declared unfit to carry a firearm.
