The managing director of waste management company Pikitup has been suspended following allegations of irregularities in the awarding of a tender.

Amanda Nair is facing five charges relating to a R263 million tender awarded to Aqua Transport Plant Hire. The transport company has been implicated in fraud in a forensic investigation.

Nair has been placed on two months suspension while the charges against her are investigated by a disciplinary committee established by the Pikitup board. According to IOL News, the charges cover several aspects of the tender, including those relating to activities predating Nair’s employment at Pikitup, and activities beyond the scope of Nair’s dealings with the tender process.

The five charges Nair is facing are: alleged irregularities surrounding the advertising for the R263 million tender; the built-in ability in the tender by Pikitup to increase or decrease the value of the tender at will; the increase of costs on the tender from R42million in July 2012 to the current R399million; poor planning by failing to calculate estimates in the supply-chain management; and irregularly using the services of the legal firm Bowman Gilfillan.