The Cape Bar Council on Monday dismissed allegations made by Economists Allied for Arms Reduction (Ecaar-SA) against its former legal representative as ”intemperate, damaging and untruthful”.
Ecaar-SA’s Terry Crawford-Browne — who is challenging the government’s multi-billion rand arms deal in the Cape High Court — had accused advocate Norman Arendse of ”colluding with the government”.
Council chairperson Owen Rogers said in a statement the two senior counsel appointed to probe the claim had found no grounds for the body to set up a disciplinary committee to pursue the allegations.
”On the facts, which are common cause, there was and is no grounds whatever for the intemperate, damaging and untruthful accusations made against Arendse SC by the present complainant,” the senior counsel found.
They also found that Arendse had not been ”fired” by Ecaar-SA, as alleged by Crawford-Browne, but had, in fact, withdrawn from the case.
It was only after he had withdrawn that Crawford-Browne had purported to dismiss him, Rogers said.
The council on Monday unanimously endorsed the report.
Crawford-Browne and his legal team parted ways last month, and both he and Arendse asked the council to probe the matter.
The body decided to ask two senior counsel from the bar, but who were not members of the council, to look at the written submissions from Crawford-Browne and Arendse.
Rogers said this was to avoid a perception of bias in favour of Arendse, given that the advocate was vice chair of the council.
Ecaar-SA is seeking to have the entire arms deal overturned, on the basis that it is strategically, economically and financially irrational, and therefore unconstitutional.
The application also seeks to have foreign loan agreements and export guarantees entered into by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel set aside. – Sapa