BPL finance manager drags BFA to court
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday March 31, 2017 15:57
Mpiwa together with BPL chief executive officer, Bennett Mamelodi were suspended during a forensic audit, which reportedly unearthed gross maladministration and financial irregularity. Mpiwa was suspended last December and has a pending disciplinary hearing.
Appearing before Industrial Court, Judge Tebogo Maruping yesterday, representing the BFA, Kutobe Modie said they were not given ample time to look into the applicant’s arguments hence they were not ready to proceed with the hearing. “My lord, I have just been instructed by my client to represent them in court today. We have not had time to look at the applicant’s heads of argument,” Modie told the court.
Maruping postponed the matter to April 7 as he said this would give both parties enough time to prepare necessary documentation. He also halted a disciplinary hearing against Mpiwa until the next court session.
“The matter will be moved to a different date of Friday, April 7. This is to enable the attorneys to file biddings, exchange heads of argument and file with the court,” he said.
Speaking to Mmegi Sport after the court appearances, Mpiwa’s attorney, Tirelo Makgane expressed dissatisfaction with the respondent’s antics. “Well we believe that they were given enough time (to look at the court papers), but the judge on the other hand did not agree with our submission that they were served on Monday and that should be sufficient time looking that it is an urgent application. They had two full court days to file the relevant documentation. We only hear that they only managed to engage the attorney this morning.”
“We came for an urgent application unfortunately the BFA representative could not file for the relevant court papers. So the disciplinary hearing that has been going on against my client has been stopped until the next court session to allow them to file the relevant court papers,” he said. BFA has been in and out of the court as they battle it out with their current and former employees. They are still in a legal battle with Mamelodi who is also challenging his suspension.
The troubled association faces yet another battle as former chief executive officer Kitso Kemoeng’s legal team reportedly filed for a matter of unfair dismissal against the BFA yesterday. Kemoeng was appointed last year replacing Keith Masters. He was dismissed in December after serving suspension. Ookeditse Malesu took over his post early this month.