The convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga is on his way out as chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) board.

The Portfolio Committee on Communications on Tuesday decided to remove him. This decision will have to be adopted by the National Assembly first.

Mohlaloga, who was appointed chairperson of Icasa in December 2017, was found guilty of fraud and money laundering in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in January.

The court found that he had defrauded the Land Bank of about R6m in 2008. He acted with at least three other accomplices to transfer the money from the Land Bank to an attorney’s trust account.

He and his co-accused are expected to be sentenced on April 3.

The committee set a process in motion to remove him after the conviction was handed down.

READ: Icasa chairperson to be removed after conviction

Mohlaloga’s legal team provided the committee with a written representation on why he should not be removed, but it decided that it was not their place to deal with the court judgment, and that the law was clear that he had been disqualified to serve on the board when he was convicted.

The committee adopted a report, with a recommendation to the National Assembly that Mohlaloga be removed. If the National Assembly adopts this, Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane must remove him. It is unclear when the National Assembly will decide on this.

Mohlaloga was appointed to the previous Icasa board in 2013, despite the fraud allegations.

He has served as acting chairperson of the Icasa board since 2016.

He is also a former deputy president of the ANC Youth League and served as an ANC MP.

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