As part of a fraud investigation of former anti-apartheid leader Allan Boesak, a delegation from South Africa’s Office for Serious Economic Offenses is planning to visit Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Foundation.
The delegation recently completed visits in Denmark and Norway and will travel to Sweden as well as the U.S. to obtain more information concerning the alleged misuse of funds. Mr. Boesak is accused of misappropriating at least $650,000 in Scandinavian donations to his Foundation for Peace and Justice.
The South African group will meet with representatives from the Coca-Cola Foundation in the near future, at a still to be determined date. “The Foundation is aware of the upcoming visit and will cooperate fully with the investigation,” said Kerry Traubert, COMMUNICATIONS manager for Coca-Cola Co.
According to Ms. Traubert, the Coca-Cola Foundation did donate $38,000 to the Foundation for Peace and Justice in the early 1980s. “When the Foundation awards a grant, we transfer expenditure authority to that organization. We then ask for stewardship reports to ensure that the money is spent properly,” she added.
Ms. Traubert also said that the organization did send the Foundation reports indicating that the money was spent appropriately. “…we accept those reports in good faith,” she said.
The investigation is to be completed in November, according to South African officials.