Justice Minister Penuell Maduna had not approached the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times about questions from crime investigators to Deputy President Jacob Zuma the newspaper published at the weekend, editor Mathatha Tsedu said on Monday.
Tsedu, in a statement, said ”through the Vuyo Mbuli show on SAFM … this [Monday[ morning it was stated …Maduna had said he was convinced that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is not responsible for leaking questions [to Zuma] that were published in the Sunday Times this past weekend.
”He is also reported to have stated that the Sunday Times can confirm this.
”We want to place on record that Mr Maduna has not spoken to the Sunday Times about this matter and that no such assurance can or was given by the Sunday Times to him or anyone else.”
On Sunday, Zuma questioned the motives of the crime and corruption investigating unit the Scorpions, which said it had allowed the Sunday Times sight of the 35 questions he was asked to answer in connection with his alleged misconduct.
”I find it totally unacceptable and despicable that questions that they sent to me have appeared in a Sunday newspaper.
”This is a serious breach of confidentiality and is contrary to the spirit and terms of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, relating to the confidentiality of information received and disseminated,” the deputy president said.
However, on Monday Tsedu said: ”The Sunday Times will neither confirm nor deny any list of names that may be produced by anyone as possible sources of the information. Indeed, we are baffled by the witch-hunt for the source as no-one has denied the veracity of the information we published.” – Sapa