South Africa’s official opposition has welcomed the step taken by one of its backbench MPs, Craig Morkel, in taking voluntary suspension.
In a statement, Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson — who has openly stated that in the event of an MP carrying out a plea-bargain that MP should lose his or her seat — noted that Morkel has suspended himself ”pending the outcome of criminal proceedings”.
”His attorneys were informed yesterday [Tuesday] that he is among the 40 MPs the Scorpions intend to prosecute,” he said.
He was referring to the Travelgate parliamentary travel-voucher scam.
Gibson said Morkel — who is the son of former Western Cape premier Gerald Morkel — ”will take no part in parliamentary or party business until his case has been finalised”.
Morkel’s name emerged in reports in late 2003, stating that he was being probed for a R17 392 account for a silver Audi TT he hired in November 2002.
Morkel, who joined the DA in 2003 during the defection window period, was a New National Party MP at the time of the incident.
He drove 986km in the Audi during a holiday in Johannesburg, which he claimed coincided with a business meeting, according to a Sunday Times report at the time.
Morkel said he had expected his travel agency, ITC Travel Services, to bill the car against his Voyager miles. He said he was ”not here for a free ride”.
All the MPs implicated in the scandal were to be informed this week 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 [Monday]”.
On Friday, the NPA said 27 current MPs and 13 former MPs are 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. — Sapa, I-Net Bridge