/ 24 January 2005

Travelgate: Net tightens around MPs

The members of Parliament implicated in the travel voucher scandal will be informed from Monday that they will be prosecuted.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said on Sunday that the 40 MPs facing prosecution would be notified ”from tomorrow”.

On Friday the NPA said 27 current MPs and 13 former MPs were to be prosecuted for their role in the scam that saw air travel warrants abused to pay for hotel bills and car rentals.

”After considering the evidence and consulting with the affected parties, we have decided to prosecute certain members of Parliament in this matter,” Ngwema said at the time.

”Their names will not be released until they have been notified formally. The 40 members concerned will be notified next week and be brought before court immediately thereafter.”

Ngwema would not say what political parties they belonged to, or whether the state would be demanding that they pay bail.

”We are not sure if we want to give this sort of detail before the court appearance,” he said.

The announcement followed an intensive investigation, including a painstaking forensic probe, by the Scorpions after they took over the case from the South African Police Service in June last year.

Seven travel agency employees and bosses have already been arrested in connection with the scam and have made several appearances in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.

One of the Scorpions prosecutors involved in the case revealed in December that the unit was under ”immense pressure” to complete the investigation.

The prosecutor, Jannie Van Vuuren, said then the Scorpions had received ”representations” on the case from a number of MPs, but declined to say what these were about.

Ngwema also said on Friday a decision still had to be taken on whether the MPs’ trial would be joined with that of the travel agents.

Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson said in reaction to the news that there had previously been indications that more than 100 MPs had a ”serious involvement” with the scam.

On Sunday he added the party had concerns about a mooted plea-bargain for the MPs that would see them face lesser charges or receive lesser sentences in exchange for giving evidence against their travel agents.

Gibson said there was nothing wrong with plea bargains if the result was a feeling on the part of the public that justice had been done.

”However, if the result is the impression of a cover-up or of a special deal for the rich and powerful, then plea bargains in this instance can only be rejected by the DA.

”The public must learn the full facts and must feel that dishonest MPs have paid the price.”

Gibson also said that another 60 MPs had been named as being involved in the matter.

If the allegations about their involvement were untrue or unfounded, the public also needed to be told. – Sapa