Majola not off hook over IPL bonuses: report

Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola may still have to face charges over alleged irregularities in IPL bonuses paid to him and other CSA staff two years ago, according to reports.

This follows a CSA Board meeting where the results of the long-awaited independent forensic audit into the matter were discussed. Although the full report was not made available to media, CSA President Mtutuzeli Nyoka disclosed that the audit firm KPMG had reported that there were "possible irregularities" in the allocation of bonuses of millions of Rands to Majola and about 40 other CSA staff in the wake of the IPL II and the Champions Trophy hosted in South Africa two years ago. Majola was allegedly paid Rand 1.8 million, which he repaid after questions began arising.

Nyoka's request for an independent inquiry into the bonuses was converted by CSA into an internal enquiry that just rapped Majola over the knuckles. Nyoka was subsequently dismissed in absentia from his position, but was reinstated after a High Court ruled in his favour. He then re-instituted the independent enquiry.

Nyoka said CSA accepted the findings by KPMG and would call in legal assistance to investigate the irregularities after consultation with the South African Sports Council and Olympics Committee (Sascoc). Nyoka told the Afrikaans weekly Rapport that the possibility still existed of Majola facing disciplinary action. "The report has not delivered finding on (Majola's) guilt or innocence and therefore we have to now take informed and considered decisions," he said.

Sources inside CSA said the KPMG report confirmed that although no money was missing from CSA coffers, Majola could face charges in terms of four contraventions of the Companies Act relating to the bonuses. The source said KPMG had also recommended that the CSA remuneration and travel policies be reviewed urgently. Nyoka said a CSA committee would be established to review remuneration and travel procedures.

According to Rapport, Majola was furious over questions relating to members of his family regularly traveling with him at CSA cost between Johannesburg and his home town of Port Elizabeth. Majola cited his contract allowing him to do this "from time to time".