Auditor General Shauket Fakie on Wednesday maintained that the draft and final reports on the arms deal investigation differed only in style and format.
In opening remarks to Parliament’s watchdog public accounts committee (Scopa) on media allegations of omissions in the final report, he said it was mischievous to expect a draft report and the final report to be exactly the same.
”It is important to understand the process one follows when finalising any report. Until the final report is signed off by the auditor-general it changes a number of times.”
It should be obvious to anyone reading the final report and draft reports carefully that there was no intention to omit information, he said.
At the outset, Fakie made it clear to the committee there were certain questions he would not answer.
”I have been advised not to entertain questions that would have a bearing on current investigations,” he said.
Throughout his opening remarks he stressed that although the report had changed in style and format there had been no material changes.
”The key findings that are in the draft are in the final report.”
Responding to a question by ANC MP Billy Nair on whether the allegations of omissions were fact or fiction, Fakie said his view was that it was not fact.
”My view is that it is not fact, because I have been able to document that all findings in the draft where in the final report.”
He said there was an issue around gifts that appeared in the draft, but not in the final report.
”Apart from the gifts, all the other issues raised by the media are in the draft and the final report.”
Allegations had been made that references to gifts were removed to protect senior officials, despite those persons being implicated in other chapters of the report.
Fakie stressed that he had not been pressured by President Thabo Mbeki or the executive to change the report.
”I want to state categorically that due process was followed and that no changes were made to the report based on pressure from the president or the executive.”
The government’s controversial multi-billion rand arms deal was investigated by the AG, the Public Protector and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The three agencies presented their results to Parliament in November 2001, finding no evidence of unlawful conduct by the state.
Fakie has since come under fire for reported ”discrepancies” between a draft report submitted to the executive and the final report. The hearing continues. – Sapa