The Scorpions will this week present Parliament with a report on alleged gifts received by Deputy President Jacob Zuma, the elite unit’s spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said on Monday.
This follows a decision by the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute Zuma on allegations of corruption connected to the government’s multibillion-rand arms deal.
The report will then be referred to Parliament’s ethics committee, which will consider whether Zuma has made full disclosure in the register of members’ interests.
On Monday Zuma once again called on public prosecutions boss Bulelani Ngcuka to take him to court if he had any evidence of wrongdoing involving the deputy president in the arms deal.
Zuma said, after speaking at the first national congress of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union in Johannesburg, that Ngcuka’s decision not to prosecute him was “not helping at all”.
“It had almost been a trial by media, many adjectives have been used to describe me with information leaked from the Scorpions,” he said.
Ngcuka told reporters over the weekend that Zuma would not be prosecuted, despite indications that there may be a corruption case for him to answer. The decision was taken in spite of a recommendation by the investigating team that Zuma be criminally charged.
“We have concluded that, whilst there is a prima facie case of corruption against the deputy president, our prospects of success are not strong enough,” Ngcuka said.
“That means that we are not sure if we have a winnable case. Accordingly, we have decided not to prosecute the deputy president.”
However he said the decision could be reviewed should new evidence arise.
Zuma said on Monday he thought a prima facie case should be taken to court for a decision. The decision not to prosecute him “leaves suspicion”, he said.
He would not comment on whether he would be suing Ngcuka or the Scorpions.
On Sunday Zuma said in a press release that he intended taking the matter further and would consult his lawyers.
Zuma has repeatedly rejected allegations that he tried to solicit a R500 000 bribe from Alain Thetard, the former Southern African head of French arms company Thomson CSF.
The Scorpions has probed claims for the past two years of corruption flowing from the Nkobi Group’s acquisition of shareholding in ADS, and Zuma’s role therein.
Schabir Shaik, who is Zuma’s financial adviser, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with the arms deal.
He was granted R1 000 bail and the case was postponed to October 3, said Ngwema.
Shaik handed himself over to the Scorpions earlier in the day following a probe into alleged corruption involving the arms deal.
He is a director of the Nkobi group of companies, which has a share in African Defence Systems. ADS won a tender in the arms procurement package.
Nine companies, including Nkobi Holdings and Thomson CSF, were listed as co-accused on the charge sheet, with Shaik named as their
representative, Ngwema said.
The other companies, all Nkobi subsidiaries, are Nkobi Investments, Kobifin, Kobitec, Proconsult, Pro-Africa Consultants, Cragton, Kobi Transport Systems and Floryn Investments.
Shaik faces charges of corruption, fraud, theft of company assets, tax evasion, reckless trading and money laundering.
The companies are alleged to have contravened the Companies Act.
Shaik is a director of the Nkobi group of companies, which has shares in Thomson CSF. Thomson CSF has shares in ADS, which won the tender to provide information management systems for the four corvettes bought as part of the arms deal.
On Monday the United Democratic Movement joined the Democratic Alliance in calling for Zuma’s resignation.
“President [Thabo] Mbeki should protect the dignity of the presidency by asking Mr Zuma to step down,” UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said.
He said there was an emerging consensus Zuma had not been cleared.
Holomisa said Mbeki should “understand that we are not only dealing here with criminal evidence and the question of reasonable doubt.
“We are also dealing with a balance of probabilities and, party politics aside, the important thing is that damage is being done to the presidency and the country as a whole.
“He need not therefore wait for a conviction to ask the deputy president to step down to protect the national interest,” he said.
DA chief whip Douglas Gibson said Zuma should resign to protect the dignity of his office, and “before there are further humiliations”.
He said his party had asked the ethics committee to investigate whether Zuma failed to declare certain benefits.
Gibson said he had written to the Registrar of Members’ Interests, requesting that ethics committee launch the appropriate investigation.
The African Christian Democratic Party said Zuma should either prove his innocence or step down. Leader Kenneth Meshoe said this would help restore confidence in the integrity of the leadership of South Africa.
“It is unacceptable that a leader of the country with evidence of corruption against him is allowed to remain in his position,” he said.
He said prima facie evidence of corruption against Zuma, who was also the head of the moral regeneration movement in the country,
threatened the government’s credibility.
Freedom Front leader Pieter Mulder said the deputy president should appear before a court to clear his name.
He said it was in the country’s and Zuma’s interest that normal prosecution and a court case now follow. Three judges of appeal should be appointed to reach a verdict on Zuma’s innocence.
“The fact that Mr Ngcuka has decided not to prosecute inevitably leads to the conclusion that political pressure and the forthcoming elections are playing a significant role in the decision.”
Mulder said Zuma could only disprove the allegations through an open court.
“Without it the allegations and speculation will continue.”
He added that the African National Congress’s actions towards Zuma would be an important test for the party, especially in view of the upcoming elections. — Sapa
UDM joins call for Zuma to go
Show me the money: Zuma