The Scorpions investigation unit is within its rights to refuse to say whether it is investigating Deputy President Jacob Zuma, deputy justice and constitutional development Minister Cheryl Gillwald said on Wednesday.
Zuma was first catapulted into the spotlight after the Mail&Guardian reported the deputy president to be under investigation by the Scorpions for allegedly soliciting the R500 000 bribe to influence the arms deal. Zuma has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Replying to questions in the National Assembly, Gillwald said this was not an attempt to ”smudge” the issue or back away from transparency.
The Scorpions had informed her they had received many allegations arising out of the joint investigation into the multi-billion rand arms deal affecting various individuals.
Some of these were continuing and it would be inappropriate for the unit to comment at this stage, as premature disclosure would be unfair to those concerned.
Pressed by opposition parties on the issue, Gillwald said because allegations ”can fly wild”, enormous damage could be done to people.
Also, it would be entirely inappropriate for her or minister Penuell Maduna to interfere in the matter and it would be better to wait for the investigations to be concluded.
”We are not going to interfere in the course of justice. We have full faith in the Scorpions to do their job and report on their findings.”
The unit was not trying to prevent transparency in the investigation, as its attempts to promote transparency ”can be felt in our courts every day”, Gillwald said.
In written reply to a question in the Assembly on March 12, Zuma said he had heard from media reports about the allegations ”that I requested money in return for support or protection to Thompson-SCF”.
The media reports also stated the matter was being investigated by the Scorpions.
”The Directorate of Special Operations has however never approached me for comment. At my request, my attorneys, approached the National Director of Public Prosecutions when the allegations first surfaced late last year, to enquire as to whether I was indeed being investigated.
”The national director refused to confirm or deny that such an investigation was taking place. I am therefore gathering most of the information in this matter from the media,” Zuma said.
Last month, Maduna — who is the politically accountable head of the Scorpions — told reporters he did not know whether the unit was investigating Zuma.
”I know as much as the media have reported,” he said then.
”I am therefore not in the position to say whether there is a probe into the deputy president, or, if there is one, when that will be concluded. I don’t know,” Maduna said. – Sapa