/ 21 March 2007

De Lille lays charges linked to arms deal

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille has laid criminal charges against 29 prominent South Africans who received discounts on luxury cars linked to the multibillion-rand arms deal.

”I felt it was in the interest of justice and fairness that since the 30th person on list — Tony Yengeni — was successfully prosecuted for massive discounts, therefore it was only proper for the other 29 to face the music,” said De Lille.

She laid criminal charges against the 29 people at a Cape Town police station on Wednesday.

De Lille said the names on the list were released in Parliament this month.

Prominent names on the list include former defence head Siphiwe Nyanda, ex-chief executive of Armscor General Beukes, ex-chairperson of the public enterprise committee Mandla Msomi and African National Congress MP Lumka Yengeni, she said.

The company that provided the vehicles was DaimlerChrysler, a sister company to the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, she said.

”I’m pursuing it because I am not happy that the National Prosecuting Authority has been too slow in dealing with this.” — Sapa