Independent Democrats president Patricia De Lille will submit a motion to Parliament on Monday for a commission of inquiry into the arms deal to be instituted.
”Without a full inquiry into allegations of arms-deal corruption contained in the De Lille Dossier, the cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of a number of ANC leaders will continue to grow,” said De Lille in a statement issued on Sunday.
De Lille said she was acting in response to Friday’s ruling in the Pietermaritzburg High Court which found that a decision to prosecute African National Congress president Jacob Zuma on corruption and fraud charges related to the arms deal was invalid.
In his ruling Judge Chris Nicholson said his verdict was not a judgement of the guilt or innocence of Zuma.
”Only a commission of inquiry can properly rid our land of this cancer that is devouring the body politic and the reputation for integrity built up so assiduously after the fall of apartheid,” said Nicholson in his judgement.
”If the allegations made by Ms [Patricia] de Lille and a group of courageous journalists are true, then there is no better reason for a commission to probe this [arms-deal] corruption,” he said.
De Lille said the motion she would submit on Monday would call on President Thabo Mbeki to establish a commission of enquiry.
”If they [the African National Congress] truly believe that Zuma was selectively prosecuted then they must support our motion, which would result in everyone implicated being prosecuted,” said De Lille. – Sapa