City Power opens fraud case over allegedly forged complaint letter
· Citizen
City Power has asked police and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to investigate the source of a letter that the entity considers a threat to its integrity.
City Power’s own investigations deem the letter, which looks like formal entity correspondence, to be falsified due to date and formatting discrepancies.
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‘Forged to create a false narrative’
The entity was alerted to the letter when it was approached by media houses to verify its authenticity, as the document was tied to an unconfirmed DHA investigation.
City Power stated the document had earlier been sent to officials at DHA by someone allegedly impersonating the entity’s CEO.
“The document seems to have been forged to create a false narrative that will discredit certain former and current contractors and employees.
“We are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness due to the potential criminal and reputational, legal, cybersecurity and governance implications associated with falsified correspondence,” City Power stated.
The entity believes the matter is linked to the suspension of two senior staff members who have been accused of allegedly extorting a contractor.
The contents of the letter, shared with The Citizen, reference the matter in detail, but City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena questioned the order of events.
“It’s dated at the time the former CEO was at the helm, around the time threats against the whistleblower were increasing, but only sent to DHA this year.
“Our IT investigation suspects the letter was prepared in early April,” Mangena told The Citizen.
Fraud case opened
DHA have yet to respond to questions posed by The Citizen, but police have confirmed that a case was opened.
“According to the case number you provided, a case of fraud has been opened at Booysens police station. No arrest made and investigation is ongoing,” Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed to The Citizen.
The entity explained that channels already existed between government entities that allowed sensitive matters of this nature to be addressed.
“City Power has also formally written to the DHA requesting verification regarding the status and legitimacy of the individuals purporting to act as investigators who contacted City Power, as well as confirmation on whether the department has initiated, authorised or is conducting any investigation relating to the allegations contained in the forged document.
“Any staff member who may be found to be implicated in this matter will face internal disciplinary process,” City Power concluded.