Johannesburg – Police were searching on Monday for the men who shot and killed a forensic services director at his auditing firm’s offices in Houghton, Johannesburg, Gauteng police said.

“No one has been arrested,” police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said shortly after 13:00.

Asked to comment on media speculation that Lawrence Moepi could have been killed in a hit on Friday, Dlamini said: “We haven’t established a motive yet”.

It was believed that Moepi was followed to his workplace, SizweNtsalubaGobodo, by men in a Volkswagen Golf.

He was shot dead as he got out of his car. Nothing was stolen.

The Association of Public Accounts Committees of SA (Apacsa) has called for protection for its members after Moepi’s death, the Times reported on Monday.

“It is a threat to [all forensic auditors] and might lead to the industry losing quality auditors because they fear for their lives,” chair Sipho Makama was quoted as saying.

According to reports Moepi was involved in various investigations.

In a statement on its website, SizweNtsalubaGobodo said Moepi had worked closely with the police’s commercial crime unit and the now defunct Directorate of Special Operations, known as the Scorpions.

In his capacity as PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic services director Moepi testified in the fraud trial of former Scorpions official Geoffrey Ledwaba.

Probing arms deal

Business Day Live reported that he had been appointed to work on the probe into the country’s multi-billion rand arms deal.

The Sunday Independent reported that Moepi was an integral part of the team investigating the sale of the Cosatu’s headquarters in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, which was allegedly sold for R10m less than its market value.

Suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been accused by some of the trade union federation’s affiliates of mishandling the deal.

Eyewitness News reported that Moepi was also handling investigations for Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

Speaking at a conference on governance on Monday, Madonsela said Moepi was working as an external auditor for her office and had finalised at least one case while working on several other cases.

Dlamini said he could not comment on the possibility that Moepi was shot because of an investigation he was involved in.

“I can’t comment on that, you must phone his company.”

– SAPA