In the Mail & Guardian this week
Allegations that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan would be charged again before Christmas were without merit, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has said.
This after the City Press on Sunday reported that the minister would be charged again, citing information from two senior Hawks officials and an NPA executive.
The new charges would relate to the establishment of the so-called rogue unit in 2007, when Gordhan was commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the City Press reported.
On Monday, NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said any speculation in respect to the charges was undesirable as it would cause unnecessary uncertainty and contribute to instability.
“The article, in so far as it relates to the NPA, is entirely without merit. The investigations are currently underway and are believed to be at an advanced stage.”
A decision on the matter would only be made when the investigation was complete, he said.
“It is not in the interest of the country for the matter to be investigated in perpetuity, hence the national director has called on the parties involved to accelerate the investigation in order to bring finality to the matter.”
The NPA did not meet with detectives, Mfaku said, rubbishing a claim that officers involved in the investigation were regulars at NPA head Shaun Abrahams’s office. – News24