/ 16 March 2007

No joint probe into arms-deal allegations

As the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed a decision by the Public Protector, Auditor General and director of public prosecutions to separately investigate new areas of concern around the arms deal, the Independent Democrats (ID) said it meant ”absolutely nothing”.

Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana, National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli and Auditor General Terence Nombembe met on Thursday evening to discuss the possibility of a joint investigation into several new claims regarding the multibillion-rand deal.

In a statement on Friday, Mushwana’s office said the new allegations of corruption would not be jointly investigated by the three state agencies.

The three principals of the agencies had came to the conclusion that none of the requests required their joint consideration.

”They agreed that each institution would deal with issues that have been raised based on their own mandates,” they said.

The three agencies would continue to investigate claims on the issue separately and respond directly to the individuals who made enquiries and requests for investigation.

”The institutions, in line with their respective mandates, have reaffirmed and expressed their willingness to cooperate with any investigative agency that might request their assistance,” the statement read.

Welcoming the decision, the DA’s Eddie Trent said the meeting had delayed any pending investigation and all three offices should now be proactive in pursuing their respective investigations.

”The DA believes that it is not necessary for all three offices to coordinate their investigations, as long as they cooperate where appropriate.

”Also, as long as each office focuses on its specific area of expertise, there is no reason why it should not be possible to conduct a full and thorough investigation,” he said in a statement.

Any investigation should be undertaken independent of state interference, and all three agencies should make a concerted effort to cooperate with any other investigating agency abroad also looking into this matter.

There were currently investigations into the arms deal taking place in Sweden, Germany and England, Trent said.

However, ID leader Patricia de Lille said Mushwana’s statement after Thursday’s meeting ”says absolutely nothing”.

”We have again missed an opportunity to deal with the outstanding allegations in the De Lille Dossier and the outstanding recommendations made by the Joint Investigating Task Team,” she said in a statement.

”For how long must the government labour under this dark cloud of suspicion hanging over our democracy?

”One can’t help but wonder why they had the meeting at all when they very obviously plan to continue dragging their heels,” she said.

Among the new claims is that Chippy Shaik, brother of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik, was paid a $3-million bribe by one of the arms-deal bidding companies.

Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine recently reported that internal documents of ThyssenKrupp, a German company that supplied the South African Navy with four frigates, revealed that Shaik had requested the bribe in 1998.

South African authorities are also coming under increased pressure from law-enforcement agencies in Sweden, Germany and Britain to assist them with the investigation into allegations that commission was paid to several South Africans to secure deals during the arms-deal bidding process.

Meanwhile, it was reported on Friday that Trent said several sources have indicated to the DA that Shaik has left South Africa.

In a statement at Parliament, Trent said: ”If these rumours are indeed true and he has fled the country, it raises even more questions about his alleged involvement in the arms deal and makes it all the more necessary that those authorities investigating this matter do so with the greatest urgency.” — Sapa, I-Net Bridge