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Two officers from the SAPS visited the Mail & Guardian offices early on Thursday afternoon, on what they described as an investigation of a complaint by the public protector in terms of section 7 of the Public Protector Act.
SAPS proceeded to ask for a statement from journalist Phillip de Wet on the source of a “leaked” draft report by the public protector on the Absa/Bankorp matter.
In January M&G revealed that an interim report from the Public Protector had recommended that the bank pay R2.25-billion to the fiscus for an unlawful apartheid-era bank bailout.
The interim report further proposed that the president should consider a commission of inquiry into apartheid-era looting of the state.
The report, which was seen by the Mail & Guardian was sent to Absa, the South African Reserve Bank, the treasury and the presidency, as the head of government, which is implicated in the report.
De Wet declined to answer any questions before consulting a lawyer, and offered to provide a detailed, written statement after doing so. The investigators were amenable to this suggestion.
Khadija Patel, Editor-in-Chief of the M&G, said: “While the M&G intends to co-operate with the SAPS where possible, we consider the protection of confidential sources to be of the utmost importance.”
Update, 3.30pm: Sanef releases statement
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) wishes to express its deep concern over the visit by two members of the South African Police Services to the offices of the Mail & Guardian newspaper on what they described as an investigation of a complaint by the Public Protector.
The SAPS members requested a statement from journalist Philip de Wet on the source of a ‘leaked’ draft report by the Public Protector on the Absa-Bankcorp matter relating to an Apartheid-era bailout.
We wish to reiterate that the confidentiality of sources is not only sacrosanct but the cornerstone of the ability of whistle-blowers to expose corruption and other malfeasance in the public interest.
We have noted that the Mail & Guardian will seek legal advice on the matter and SANEF will support the newspaper should the need arise.