The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has taken decisive action against Collins Letsoalo, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), planning to lay criminal charges for his failure to respond to a lawful summons to appear before the committee.
Earlier this month, Scopa formally summoned Letsoalo to appear on November 25 and 26 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as part of its Oversight Enquiry into the Road Accident Fund.
Despite these explicit instructions, attempts to deliver the summons to Letsoalo at his known addresses were unsuccessful.
The situation prompted Parliament to resort to a substituted service, which included dissemination through social media, email, and even affixing the summons to the door of his residence.
The Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act empowers Parliament to require individuals to provide evidence under oath and produce necessary documents. Importantly, the Act stipulates that any refusal to comply — without a valid justification — constitutes a criminal offence and reflects contempt for Parliament.
On Tuesday, Letsoalo’s attorney submitted a cease-and-desist letter to Scopa, claiming that the committee lacked the authority to conduct the enquiry. This assertion has been met with scepticism by parliamentary officials, who argue that the committee’s mandate is well-founded in law.
The decision to pursue charges now hinges on the concurrence of the Speaker of the National Assembly, who must endorse SCOPA’s recommendation before criminal proceedings can be initiated against the former CEO.
Should the Speaker agree to proceed, the fallout could have profound implications for accountability within the public sector, particularly concerning transparency and adherence to lawful summonses.
