Polokwane – Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale allegedly abused his office’s travel claims system, according to a report on Friday.

The Star reported that Mathale had parked his official cars so that he could use his private car for official duties and claim for it.

Auditor General Terence Nombembe estimated that the amount irregularly accrued to Mathale from March 1 to August 30 last year was R466 000, the newspaper reported.

In his 2011/2012 audit report, Nombembe declared the payment to Mathale wasteful and fruitless expenditure.

According to the report Mathale’s office flouted the government’s policy on the use of official vehicles by disposing his official car, a BMW 750i worth R1m, before it had reached 120 000 km or five years.

Chapter five of the ministerial handbook stated that government departments could purchase official vehicles directly from the manufacturer or their dealerships only when the current car provided for that office had reached 120 000km or after five years, “whichever comes first”.

The policy allowed the premier to claim for a travel allowance if he had indicated in writing that he would like to take this option and his office does not buy an official car for him.

The premier’s office admitted to the newspaper that it had purchased a BMW 750i for the premier when he took office in May 2009. It also confirmed the existence of three other vehicles. A fourth car was written off in an accident.

 New York – Looking dazed and speaking barely above a whisper, a Brooklyn hardware store clerk pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges he abducted and dismembered an eight-year-old boy who lost his way home.

The guilty plea to second-degree murder and kidnapping guarantees Levi Aron a sentence of 40 years to life in a case that traumatized the victim’s tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community.

Aron, 36, had previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and, if convicted, would have faced life without parole. But the family of Leiby Kletzky urged prosecutors to strike a deal to avoid the painful spectacle of a trial.

“There is no way one can comprehend or understand the pain of losing a child,” the boy’s father, Nachman Kletzky wrote in a statement distributed to the media. But he added that the plea gave the family “some partial closure on one aspect of this nightmare”.

Legal closure came on Thursday afternoon after an expressionless Aron was led into the courtroom wearing an orange jail jump suit, handcuffs and a yarmulke.

Judge Neil Firetog began by telling him that after seeing psychological reports, he was convinced claiming mental illness was “not a viable defence”.

The judge then had Aron answer a series of often leading questions about his conduct. His one-word responses were delivered in a low, flat monotone after long pauses and prodding by his lawyers.

Aron expressed no remorse and only hinted at motive: At one point he told the judge he felt “panic” when he found out there was a frantic search on for the boy, who was still alive in his apartment.

The judge asked him what he decided to do, and he responded simply, “Smother.” He also answered yes when asked if he had bound and drugged Leiby.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/