The Sunday Times this morning says public protector Thuli Madonsela's provisional report into disgraced former communications minister Dina Pule vindicates it.
The newspaper, which says it has a copy of the leaked document, says Pule was found to have repeatedly lied and cheated to ensure her partner Phosane Mngqibisa "could plunder the public purse".
The provisional report on Pule's conduct while minister of communications was submitted to president Jacob Zuma towards the end of September, but the final version has yet to be made public.
According to the paper, Pule's conduct was found to be "unlawful, grossly improper" and "unethical". Madonsela found Mngqibisa benefited from sponsorship of the ICT Indaba, and was in a relationship with Pule. Pule was aware the department paid for Mngqibisa's international trips, says the Sunday Times.
Among the report's recommendations are that Pule should vacate her seat in Parliament, and apologise to the Sunday Times, which ran a series of exposes around the minister and Mngqibisa, it states.
Madonsela probed allegations of corruption and mismanagement brought against Pule, which led to her being found guilty by Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests for allowing Mngqibisa to benefit financially from his relationship with her.
The committee also ruled that Pule had failed to declare her association with Mngqibisa, which she was obliged to do in terms of Parliament's ethics code.
Pule received sanctions including a fine equivalent to 30 days' salary, and a suspension of privileges for 15 days, as well as exclusion from any Parliamentary debates and committees for this period.
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