Latest news with #SIU
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
First Nation man shot and killed by police 1 year after father's death in police shooting
Just over a year after his father was shot and killed by a police officer in Kenora, Ont., Eric Nothing's family has identified him as the victim of a police shooting in Deer Lake First Nation that occurred earlier this week. Ontario's police watchdog is investigating the incident, which took place in the remote Oji-Cree community in northwestern Ontario Tuesday afternoon. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) went to a residence in Deer Lake around 1:30 p.m. local time that day with a warrant to arrest a man, who then fled from the house. "There was an interaction, and one NAPS officer discharged his firearm at the man. Officers provided first aid and the man was taken to a nursing station where he was pronounced deceased," the SIU said in a news release issued Wednesday. Nothing's uncle, Joshua Frogg, described his nephew as a hard worker and a good person. During the community's recent evacuation due to a nearby wildfire, Nothing stayed behind to help with building maintenance and look after people's pets. "He volunteered to help in any crisis situation," Joshua Frogg told CBC News in an interview Thursday. "He was a very caring individual." About 1,100 people live in Deer Lake, which is about 580 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. Earlier this month, the SIU cleared a Kenora officer with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) of any wrongdoing in connection with the death of Bruce Wallace Frogg — Nothing's father — at Anicinabe Park in June 2024. In that case, Nishnawbe Aski Nation — which represents 49 First Nations across Treaties 9 and 5 — described the investigation as "severely flawed." "We reject the conclusion that the officers' actions were reasonable and justified," Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said in a statement. I hate to say this, but it's just the reality for us as a family and maybe as Indigenous peoples, that the system is designed to fail us. The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person. The agency says two investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the Deer Lake case, as well as one subject official and one witness official. "I have nothing good to say about the SIU," Joshua Frogg said. "We have no trust in them." While the SIU initially identified Nothing as a 45-year-old man, spokesperson Kristy Denette confirmed to CBC News that he was in fact 40, and that the information initially received by the agency was incorrect. According to Denette, "the arrest warrant was in relation to assault." However, the family's experience with Bruce Wallace Frogg's investigation has made them leery of how the agency may handle Nothing's case, said Joshua Frogg. "I hate to say this, but it's just the reality for us as a family and maybe as Indigenous peoples, that the system is designed to fail us," Joshua Frogg said. "There is no justice." Wapekeka, Deer Lake First Nations in mourning In a news release issued Wednesday evening, the OPP Northwest Region said that "at the request of the NAPS, the OPP is investigating the circumstances leading up to NAPS attendance as well as the immediate situation at the scene as officers arrived." "The OPP investigation is separate from that of the SIU, which is investigating the police-involved interaction," the OPP says. Joshua Frogg said Nothing grew up in Wapekeka First Nation and moved to Deer Lake when he got married. He called his nephew an intergenerational residential school survivor, and said he was affected by the experiences of his father, grandmother and other relatives who were forced to attend residential schools. From celebrations to funerals, Joshua Frogg said Nothing was always involved in the community, and that Deer Lake and Wapekeka are grieving him together. As the SIU investigation unfolds, Joshua Frogg said he wants a separate agency to look into Nothing's death that is not staffed by former police officers. "[The police are] basically investigating themselves, and that is not a good thing in our view," he said. Jeremy Sawanis, a band councillor for Deer Lake, posted on Facebook that a prayer service was being held Wednesday in Nothing's honour. "Chief and council would like to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of late Eric Nothing," Sawanis wrote. In the meantime, Joshua Frogg said the family is focusing on laying Nothing to rest and taking care of his wife and children. The OPP is asking anyone with information or video footage — including surveillance, dash cam, cell phone and social media — taken near the intersection of Police Station Road and Water Treatment Road in Deer Lake on Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., to contact the service at 1-888-310-1122. People can also submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Only 24 buses running as Great North Transport nears collapse
POLOKWANE – The Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, stressed the urgent need for intervention at the financially struggling Great North Transport (GNT) during an oversight visit to their depot in Seshego on Tuesday. The state-owned bus service has been forced to cut down its fleet due to a worsening financial situation, with many of its buses out of service due to a lack of proper maintenance. You might also want to read: R15m in road unworthiness fines for Great North Transport Only 24 out of more than 120 buses are currently running while over 100 buses sit idle due to mechanical failures. Ramathuba highlighted the need for more mechanical engineers to be hired as there are only four available to ensure maintenance for the fleet. 'The condition is disheartening. There's much work to be done. Workers must remain hopeful,' said Ramathuba. She emphasised that GNT plays a crucial role in providing affordable transport for workers from disadvantaged communities and allowing its collapse would severely affect transportation across Limpopo. You might also want to read: President orders SIU to investigate Great North Transport Ramathuba announced that the entire management team has been suspended following their failure to address GNT's long-standing operational and financial issues. In May, CEO Dr Matata Mokoele, CFO Nazeem Essa and COO Mahlaku Mogoashane were suspended with full pay amid ongoing worker protests and financial scrutiny. Among the concerns were overdue pension contributions and unpaid medical aid for more than 1,000 employees, despite salary deductions. GNT has shut down over 200 routes across Limpopo and reported a loss of over R300m in the last five years. You might also want to read: Unpaid provident fund sparks protest by Great North Transport employees In February, hundreds of commuters were left stranded when buses servicing Seshego, Mokopane, Giyani, Tzaneen, Motetema, Makhado and others were pulled from operation. At the time, Mokoele said the company was in the process of procuring a new fleet but was forced to contract buses to maintain services. 'We have been struggling to service several routes across the province due to a shortage of buses. Most of the buses are old and are experiencing breakdowns daily as a result. When the buses break down, we are already depleted in terms of the fleet it creates that problem for us. As a result, we end up using the existing buses to do multiple routes,' Mokoele said.
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
SIU investigation into lottery corruption hamstrung by red tape
Narrow terms of the original proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate dodgy procurement at the National Lotteries Commission has hamstrung its investigations, despite the SIU having applied for an amendment to the terms 15 months ago. Photo: Steve Kretzmann Almost 15 months after the The original October 2020 proclamation allowed the SIU to only investigate grants made by the Since then, several independent audits commissioned by the NLC have also uncovered fraud, corruption and extensive circumvention of 'procurement processes' running into hundreds of millions of rand. But the narrow terms of the original proclamation have left the SIU hamstrung and unable to investigate the NLC procurement and appointments of service providers. The NLC is also unable to investigate potentially fraudulent or corrupt grants that fall outside the window of the 2020 proclamation. A backlog of applications for SIU proclamations built up during the tenure of former justice and constitutional development minister A flurry of new proclamations has been granted this year after the appointment of her replacement, But the SIU's National Lotteries Commission application, submitted in April last year, has been gathering dust. Red tape An Institute for Security Studies (ISS) report on the future of the SIU, released last week, found that the proclamation process is mired in red tape. The resulting delays at the justice department 'have sometimes amounted to several years', according to the ISS. 'This has frustrated the recovery of funds, which can be hidden or dissipate quickly,' the ISS says. 'In turn, this might delay the referral of cases to the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority], resulting in the loss of evidence and slow down disciplinary processes for state employees'. The ISS has recommended that SIU motivations for presidential proclamations should rather be handled by the Presidency. Terrence Manase, spokesperson for the justice ministry, said last week that the SIU's amendment application has not yet reached the minister's office. 'The ministry acknowledges the seriousness of the matter and remains committed to ensuring that all allegations of corruption are addressed appropriately, within the confines of the law,' he said. GroundUp reported in 2023 that the SIU was planning to ask for an extension of its mandate. It was submitted in April 2024. Mashudu Netshikwera, who heads up the SIU's team investigating the NLC, told parliament in May that the application for an extension was submitted almost a year earlier in April 2024. Justice department spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said 'the department is currently attending the request for an amendment'. She said the department had 'raised certain concerns with the SIU, which the SIU has since addressed. The department has completed its assessment of the request and will be advising the minister and the Presidency in due course.' Millions in dodgy procurement deals The findings of the independent investigations commissioned by the NLC's new board and executive were key in formulating disciplinary charges against implicated staff, including National Lotteries Commission chief operating officer Phillemon Letwaba and former NLC company secretary Nompumelelo Nene. Among the issues flagged in damning reports by the auditor general and the independent auditors were irregular expenditure on information technology and sky-high spending on lawyers. The NLC struggled to answer a written parliamentary question about its expenditure on legal fees, as key files with details of multimillion-rand litigation expenditure have vanished. Another area of concern is the tens of millions of rand in spending on media and communications, with a disproportionate amount paid to the Sunday World newspaper. Millions of rand in dodgy payments were also made to NLC service providers, including a nearly R500,000 payment to service provider Neo Consulting to investigate a computer hack that never happened. ProEthics, which advised the NLC on ethics when the organisation was overwhelmed by rampant corruption, was used to circumvent procurement processes. The NLC paid ProEthics more than R28.4 million. The company, in turn, said it paid other service providers, which it had no part in appointing, on the NLC's instructions. Bureaucracy not required by SIU Act The Institute for Security Studies report says the SIU is 'unnecessarily hampered' by delays in the administrative processing of presidential proclamations. First, the SIU had to assess complaints it received 'against the requirements of the SIU Act to determine whether it had jurisdiction'. If the complaint met these criteria, the SIU must then 'submit a motivation for a proclamation to the president via the justice department. A directorate in the [department] again assesses the motivation to see whether it meets jurisdictional requirements and is feasible,' the ISS report found. 'If so, the directorate sends it to the director general of the [department], who may escalate it to the deputy minister, the minister, and ultimately the president for approval.' These delays 'frustrate the purpose of the SIU Act, which is to provide for the swift recovery of state funds. The process of approvals by different justice department officials has evolved through a series of executive decisions and is not required by the SIU Act.' SIU owed R1 billion Since 2001, 300 presidential proclamations have been issued, the ISS said. 'Of these, 164 (55%) have been issued since 2018, during President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration. In the 2024-25 financial year alone, 49 proclamations were issued. Five proclamations have been reported to date in the current year.' The SIU gets its funding from two sources: a budget from the justice department, and it can also bill the institutions it investigates for the services provided and retain these funds. But many of its clients, which are all state institutions, were not paying for the SIU's services, as they are required to do. As of March 2024, the SIU had a debt book exceeding R1 billion owed by 272 state institutions, the ISS found. This led to the SIU launching Project Khokela in October 2024, with letters of demand being issued to these institutions for prompt debt settlement. 'Given the high number of new proclamations, the SIU is likely to face financial strain over the next 24 months. If unresolved, its financial reserves could be depleted in the foreseeable future.' This story was first published by
News24
2 days ago
- Business
- News24
Ramaphosa expands SIU probe into North West security contracts
The extended probe will assess whether proper procurement procedures were followed and whether there was any fraud, maladministration, or financial loss to the state. The original proclamation had empowered the SIU to investigate maladministration related to the establishment of Tokiso Security Services as a subsidiary of the NWDC. The SIU can refer criminal findings to the NPA and initiate civil recovery action through the High Court or Special Tribunal under the SIU Act. President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed Proclamation 270 of 2025, amending Proclamation 30 of 2019 to expand the Special Investigating Unit 's (SIU) probe into the North West Development Corporation (NWDC). The amendment specifically authorises the corruption-busting unit to investigate contracts awarded to Tokiso Security Services to provide security services to the NWDC and other provincial government entities. The original proclamation had empowered the SIU to investigate maladministration related to the establishment of Tokiso Security Services as a subsidiary of the NWDC. The new amendment extends this mandate to examine all contracts where Tokiso Security Services was appointed to render security services to the NWDC, provincial departments, public entities and government business enterprises in the North West. READ SIU under attack: Report warns of risks threatening future of graft-busting investigating unit According to SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, the expansion of the investigation scope will allow the unit to determine whether the security service contracts were awarded appropriately and if any irregularities, maladministration, or financial losses to the state occurred during the procurement process. The SIU will investigate whether proper procedures were followed in appointing Tokiso Security Services and whether any officials, employees, or service providers acted improperly. Additionally, the amendment extends the investigation period to include conduct up to the date of the proclamation's publication on July 18 2025. Kaizer Kganyago He explained that the original Proclamation (R.30 of 2019) also authorised the SIU to investigate irregularities in contracts associated with the NWDC, including the Youth Enterprise Combo implemented by MVEST Trust, security services provided by Naphtronics and the purchase of the Christiana Hotel and Game Farm. Beyond investigating maladministration, corruption, and fraud, he said the SIU is committed to identifying systemic failures and recommending measures to prevent future losses. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the SIU will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action. Kaizer Kganyago Kganyago added that under the SIU Act, the unit is also authorised to initiate a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to address any wrongdoing identified during its investigation resulting from acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Ont. police watchdog closes probe into Sudbury man's fall during police raid
A Special Investigations Unit logo is seen on a truck near the scene of a police incident in Ontario on April 24, 2025. (File photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey) The Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has closed its investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 32-year-old man in Greater Sudbury after he fell from a fourth-storey window while evading police. The incident occurred on May 29, when officers from the Greater Sudbury Police Service executed a search warrant at an apartment near the intersection of Elgin Street and Elm Street. According to the SIU, police entered the unit through an unlocked door, deployed a distraction device and announced their presence before the man exited through the window. Investigation terminated following preliminary findings 'The man had no interaction with police prior to his decision to depart the premises via the fourth-floor window,' said Stacey O'Brien, the watchdog agency's deputy director, in a news release Tuesday. The man landed on the rooftop of a second-storey building, where he was arrested. He later complained of pain and was hospitalized with fluid accumulation near his kidney and liver. Video footage supports the decision 'Based on the SIU's preliminary inquiries, corroborated by video footage, police were not responsible for the injuries sustained by the man,' the agency said. With no basis for further investigation into potential criminal liability, the case has been closed. Role of the SIU The SIU is an independent civilian agency that probes incidents involving police and other officials that result in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or firearm discharges at a person. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the agency must assess whether criminal charges are warranted and publicly report its findings.
