Letters

Simpiwe Piliso's front-page story last Sunday had a highly contrived headline: "Judge in Scorpions probe linked to arms deal". After reading the story, I shed a tear over the death of integrity in the journalistic profession.

Nothing in the story suggests any involvement of Judge Sisi Khampepe in the arms deal. At best, the headline might have read: "Judge's husband linked to the arms deal", and a further word of caution, even a question mark, would have been fairer.

The truth is that Judge Khampepe is not linked to the arms deal in any way other than that her husband is a director in Khorong Investment Holdings, an empowerment partner of Reutech Radar Systems.

Reutech Radar Systems succeeded in acquiring part of the arms-procurement elements in a regular way and nobody, including the Scorpions, has ever raised any question about the acquisition. There was also no investigation by the Scorpions affecting Khorong. Accordingly, there can be no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the judge's husband in his dealings with the company. That will be news to those who saw only the Sunday Times headline.

The judge and Mr Khampepe have not been at loggerheads with the Scorpions. There is no reason why the judge would be prejudicial to the Scorpions.

With acknowledgements to Frank Chikane and the Sunday Times.