Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape leader Gerald Morkel says he has a perfectly innocent explanation for the Harksen ”exhibit X” documents lodged with the Desai Commission this week.
He was reacting to suggestions that the documents, seized by police from Harksen and his wife Jeannette, appear to give some backing to the German’s claims that he bankrolled Morkel and the DA.
The wad of documents were labelled ”exhibit X” by the commission.
Morkel and former provincial finance MEC Leon Markovitz, who was also named by Harksen for taking cash, said in a joint statement that the significance of the documents had been sensationalised in the media.
”The authenticity and validity of these documents have not been tested and it will be the subject of cross-examination in due course. We have perfectly innocent and logical explanations for each of these documents.
”However, in view of the fact that we have still to give evidence before the Desai Commission, we are not prepared to comment on them until after we have done so.”
The documents include detailed bills for Morkel’s legal fees, and an invoice for rent on a house he lived in. Harksen claims he paid a substantial portion of both amounts.
There are also letters from former DA provincial chief secretary Werner Schwella recording a donation of $75 000 to the DA by Global Finance SA, one of the German’s front companies.
Morkel, Markovitz and the DA have denied ever receiving money from Harksen.
Also handed in was a police-compiled record of Harksen’s cellphone use, which records scores of calls and SMS contacts with Morkel and Markovitz.
Morkel told Die Burger newspaper earlier that Harksen had pestered him with the cellphone contacts, and that he did not even know how to reply to an SMS.
The documents were given to the commission on Thursday morning by Captain Piet Viljoen, investigating officer in the multi-million-rand South African fraud case against Harksen, who is fighting extradition to face similar charges in Germany.
The commission has adjourned to June 18, when DA advocate Peter Hodes will begin cross-examination of Harksen, who is being held in protective custody rather than in jail.
Morkel this week announced he was stepping back from his ceremonial duties as Cape Town mayor to allow himself time to prepare properly to rebut Harksen’s testimony.
The findings of an internal DA probe into Morkel’s links with Harksen are expected to be made public on Saturday. – Sapa