Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2006-03-04 Reporter: Moshoeshoe Monare Reporter:

Scorpions Cleared of Leaking Zuma Info

 

Publication 

Cape Argus

Date

2006-03-04

Reporter

 Moshoeshoe Monare

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za

 

Zuma: Public Protector's report

The Scorpions have won the second round in their battles with ANC deputy leader Jacob Zuma as the public protector cleared the elite police unit of leaking information relating to Zuma's alleged liaison with a prostitute.

In a separate report, Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana has also cleared the Land Bank for giving an R800 million loan to a company linked to ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and former Northern Cape premier Manne
Dipico.

But Social Welfare Minister Zola Skweyiya is not off the hook. Mushwana is re-opening a probe into alleged bribery involving businessman Sandile Majali, saying he has new information regarding Skweyiya.

On Zuma, Mushwana said the Scorpions unit was not responsible for the information leak that convicted businessman Schabir Shaik had paid for a prostitute's service to entertain the former deputy president.

Shaik was found to have had a generally corrupt relationship with Zuma.

Zuma's lawyer, Michael Hulley, said at the time that the information, taken from the transcript of a statement obtained by the Scorpions during corruption investigations in 2003, could have leaked from the elite police unit.

"From the investigations, it was found that the transcript of the statement concerned was not under exclusive control of the Scorpions at the time when it was reported," Mushwana said yesterday. Zuma declined to comment.

On the Land Bank, Mushwana said the bank's R800m loan to Pamodzi, a company in whose subsidiaries Motlanthe and Dipico have insignificant shares, "did not amount to mal-administration".

"The decision of the board of the Land Bank to approve the loan ... was reasonable ... the insinuation that Motlanthe and Dipico were involved in the loan transaction is unfounded," said Muswhana. Dipico and Motlanthe said they were not surprised by the ruling.

Meanwhile, Skweyiya is facing Mushwana's wrath. The minister was initially cleared after his wife - Thuthukile Mazibuko-Skweyiya - accepted a R65 000 loan from Majali to pay for renovations to their home.

Mazibuko-Skweyiya and Majali's names featured in the Oilgate saga but were cleared by Mushwana last year.

Mushwana said he had received new "undisclosed" information which compelled him to re-open the investigations, saying the new information "properly justifies an investigation".

Skweyiya could not be reached for comment.

Mushwana is currently investigating deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngckuka for a controversial trip to the United Arab Emirates, Free State premier Beatrice Marshoff for allegedly not following procedure in appointing the provincial youth commission, and the CEO of the Commission on Gender Equality, Khana Majake, for "improper conduct".

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and Cape Argus.