Latest news with #ForensicInvestigation
CNN
20-05-2025
- CNN
First major piece of Bayesian superyacht recovered from seabed
Salvage crews have recovered the boom from the $40 million Bayesian luxury yacht, which sank off the coast of Sicily in August 2024, killing seven people, including British billionaire tech tycoon Michael Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. The boom, which was connected to the 72-meter (236-foot) mast—one of the tallest on any sailboat—is the first known piece of debris to brought out of the water. On May 9, a 39-year-old Dutch specialist diver Robcornelis Maria Huijben Uiben died in an underwater explosion when trying to detach the boom from the vessel, Italian Coast Guard officials said. The recovery of the boom will be part of the forensic investigation into the diver's death, officials told CNN. The 55.9 meter (184-foot) yacht, which still has 18,000 liters of fuel onboard, went down in a sudden storm on August 19 while moored near Porticello, Sicily near Palermo. Fifteen people, including nine crew members, survived. British investigators, who were on the scene days after the accident, published a 'desktop' report last week in which they concluded that the ship sank due to structural problems with the vessel. Italian investigators have publicly dismissed the findings and have told local reporters that until the vessel can be examined once out of the water, no conclusion into the cause of the sinking can be determined. The ship is lying on its starboard side on the seabed, meaning no images have been taken of that part of the vessel to determine its condition. An official with Smit Salvage, which is part of the salvage team led by TMC Marine, told CNN that the hatches appear open, meaning the crew may not have battened down the hatches as the storm approached. One of the crew members posted a video of the storm in the distance, which investigators say shows that they were aware of the weather, according to the British report. No one has been charged with any criminal culpability in the accident, but the ship captain James Cutfield and two other crew members are under investigation for their role in the deaths of the passengers, which included one crew member. The vessel is thought to contain watertight safes in which Lynch kept highly encrypted hard drives. Investigators have told CNN that they cannot verify the existence of any safes or contents until the ship is brought out of the water. The timetable to lift the yacht from the seabed some 50 meters below the surface of the water originally stated that the mast and boom would be left on the seabed until after the hull of the luxury yacht is pulled out of the water. The boom was instead brought out first to aid in the investigation into the salvage diver's death. It is unclear when the mast, which is being cut from the vessel, will be pulled from the water. The hull of the yacht is scheduled to be brought up between May 26 and May 28, weather permitting. Once emptied of water, the wreckage will be lifted by crane to the port of Termini Imerese where it will be sequestered and examined by officials. A full report is expected by the end of the summer.
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- The Citizen
R2 million laptop saga triggers disciplinary action in Mpumalanga education department
All implicated officials will be disciplined after the department paid more than R91 000 each for 22 laptops, violating procurement rules. All Mpumalanga Department of Education officials, including the head of the department, will face disciplinary action for the irregular procurement of 22 laptops for a staggering R2 million. Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu released the much-anticipated findings of an investigation into the so-called Mpumalanga laptop saga on Monday morning. The Department of Education purchased 22 laptops and a printer for R2 million, which means each laptop cost over R91,482.50, well above the market price. 22 laptops for R2 million The premier instituted an investigation at the beginning of April 2025 to gather facts after a whistleblower first alerted Ndlovu of the matter on 15 February. 'After receiving an unsatisfactory response from the department, I then instructed the Chief Directorate: Integrity, Forensic Investigation and Security Management within the office of the premier to conduct an investigation into the procurement of the 22 laptops by the education department at a cost of R91 482.50 each,' he said during a media briefing. ALSO READ: Wasteful expenditure? This is what a R91 000 laptop gets you [VIDEO] Based on the information they gathered, the interviews they conducted, and the supporting documentation, the provincial government concluded that officials had materially flawed the procurement process. The investigation revealed that departmental officials irregularly specified a particular brand and locality for laptop procurement, limiting supplier responses. They accepted non-compliant laptops with varied specifications without a proper process and didn't negotiate a lesser price, resulting in overpayment. Laptop procurement process flawed The investigation also revealed that the process involved misrepresentation and possible fraud. The supplier and department officials misrepresented various aspects of the laptop procurement process, including compliance with specifications, procurement procedures, and payment amounts, leading to improper payments for inferior goods. Ndlovu said department officials acted dishonestly by investigating a matter in which they were implicated, hiding their involvement, providing false information, and misleading senior leaders, including the MEC, by providing inaccurate information. ALSO READ: Not adding up: More than 400 schools don't teach Mathematics The service provider also acted in a grossly dishonest manner when attempting to cover up its failure to comply with the agreed specifications. The department hired a service provider to supply 22 Dell XPS 15 laptops and 1 HP printer for R2 020 883.45. A market scan showed Dell XPS 16 laptops are the most expensive, and Dell XPS 13 laptops are the least expensive. The investigation revealed that departmental officials — including those who approved the procurement and served on the relevant committees — failed to comply with the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) guidelines for procuring IT equipment. Dept officials and service provider 'acted dishonestly' The officials also violated sections of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) concerning financial management and internal controls, ignored Public Service Act provisions for correcting errors, and potentially breached the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act by enabling a service provider to defraud the department. The Office of the Premier recommended that the department recover financial losses from the service provider, blacklist the provider, discipline implicated officials, and conduct lifestyle audits on those officials. ALSO READ: Schooling the system: Experts urge SA to learn from Oprah academy's trauma-informed model A governance review will assess the department's governance and accountability arrangements, compliance with regulations, and reporting quality. The premier said a provincial team will be established to identify and enhance weak internal controls in ICT procurement and monitor compliance with ICT procurement regulations. Progress report on 30 June The premier's office will release a progress report on 30 June, detailing the implementation of all the recommendations derived from this investigation report. 'I want to assure the people of Mpumalanga and the country that this government is committed to clean, ethical and transparent governance,' Ndlovu said. Watch Premier Ndlovu release the findings of the investigation here:
