Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon on Friday requested Parliament’s ethics committee to probe urgently allegations that senior MPs failed to make proper disclosure in the register of members’ interests.
The Mail & Guardian report on Friday, saying 13 MPs had failed to disclose fully or had wrongfully disclosed their assets, is another ”ugly stain” on the integrity of Parliament, Leon said.
The allegation that senior MPs, including several deputy ministers and top office bearers had, contrary to law, failed to disclose their assets and/or made wrongful disclosure, requires urgent redress and attention, Leon said.
The M&G newspaper reported on Friday that the 13 had business interests they failed to declare, as required by law.
”In some instances, the companies in question are doing business with the government or are planning to do so,” the M&G said.
Some MPs admitted failing to disclose their interests, but most insisted they did not benefit financially from the companies or said the companies were not yet operational, the M&G reported.
In a letter to Parliament’s ethics committee chairperson Luwellyn Landers and National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete, Leon said Parliament’s reputation is seriously compromised if any of these allegations of wrongful or wilful partial disclosure are correct.
”I would, therefore, request you to convene a meeting of the ethics committee on an urgent basis in order to investigate … and to consider appropriate sanctions where indicated,” he wrote.
Early on Friday morning, the Pretoria High Court dismissed with costs an application by Parliament to prevent the M&G from hitting the streets.
The application was brought at midnight by lawyers acting for the National Council of Provinces and its chairperson, Joyce Kgoali, who objected to this week’s M&G edition carrying the report. — Sapa
MP’s midnight gag attempt