Axed Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz will be taking his case to court after he was denied access to the 81-page report that found “sufficient credibility” to the sex abuse allegations against him.
Fritz was fired by Premier Alan Winde last week following the completion of the investigation against him.
He then resigned from the provincial legislature and as a DA member.
Four women levelled eight claims of sexual misconduct against Fritz that ranged from inappropriate sexual comments, touches, kisses and sex that sometimes occurred on work trips, the report found.
Fritz told Weekend Argus that he had not received the full report.
“We are taking the report on review to the High Court and we will then speak to the media,” he said.
Odette Cason, from the Premier’s office, said Winde was not able to make the report publicly available, while no criminal case was opened against Fritz yet.
“This follows an agreement with the complainants to this effect. The report contains very detailed accounts of the allegations, which would enable the complainants to be identified.”
Cason says the premier has encouraged the complainants to lay criminal charges, when they are ready to do so.
“As the SAPS has made clear, the complainant is required to lay the charges, and their agency to do so should be respected so as to not disempower them.”
Leader of the opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Cameron Dugmore, said the report can be made public, with names of the complainants removed.
“Taxpayers’ money was spent. One can protect the identity of victims by removing names from the report,” said Dugmore.
Weekend Argus