Publication: The Witness
Issued:
Date: 2006-11-14
Reporter: Sapa
Reporter:
Will
late return to jail affect his early parole?
Former African National
Congress chief whip and convicted fraudster, Tony Yengeni, will be hauled before
a Correctional Services hearing for his alleged breach of the parole code of
conduct, the department said yesterday.
Yengeni, who was granted parole
for the past weekend, is being investigated following claims he contravened the
prisoner code of conduct by consuming alcohol and arriving late at Malmesbury
prison, where he is serving a four-year sentence.
“The management [of
the prison] where Yengeni is serving his sentence will conduct an investigation
to establish whether the offender contravened the disciplinary code,” said
Correctional Services spokesman Manelisi Wolela.
He said Correctional
Services Minister Ngconde Balfour was not happy with Yengeni’s alleged late
arrival.
Opposition parties were equally outraged by the former ANC
heavyweight’s alleged conduct.
The Democratic Alliance called for the
cancellation of all Yengeni’s future weekend passes.
“Yengeni’s flagrant
disregard for the rules governing his parole indicates his lack of remorse for
the crimes he has committed and proves that he thinks he is above the law,” said
DA spokesman James Selfe.
Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille
said if reports of his misconduct are true, Yengeni should not be released early
from prison.
“In fact, if this kind of behaviour continues, then the law
would require that Yengeni not be released early and should instead complete his
full four-year sentence,” said De Lille.
The South African Prisoners’
Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) accused the department of applying double
standards in Yengeni’s case.
“Section 44 of the Correctional Services
Act was specifically compiled to help ease reintegration and family
reunification of a prisoner that has been in prison for a long period of time,”
Sapohr president Miles Bhudu said.
He argued that Yengeni did not qualify for a weekend off as he had been in prison
for less than three months.
Yengeni, who was sentenced to four
years’ imprisonment in 2003 after being convicted on fraud charges related to
his acceptance of a discount on a luxury vehicle from one of the bidders in the
multi-billion rand arms deal, was due for release on January 15.
Wolela
said he was not in a position to say whether he would still qualify for early
release in the event of him being found guilty by the correctional supervision
disciplinary committee.
“I don’t think it is a good idea to speculate,
lets rather wait for the outcome of the hearing,” he said.
The Inkatha
Freedom Party said Yengeni’s alleged transgression was so serious that the
department should tell South Africans what action it intended to take.
“We need answers on what sort of punishment will be handed down on him
in relation to his late arrival at Malmesbury prison, as well as him being
pictured drinking alcohol, which is not allowed as stipulated by his parole
conditions,” said IFP spokeswoman Sybil Seaton. With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Witness.