Publication: Independent Online Issued: Date: 2007-05-29 Reporter: Peter Fabricius

Australia Mum on Shaik Claims

 

Publication 

Independent Online
Date

2007-05-29

Reporter

 Peter Fabricius

Web Link

 www.iol.co.za

 

The Australian government has declined to comment on weekend reports that Schabir Shaik's brother, Chippy, is planning to emigrate to Australia, citing the country's privacy laws.

An Australian official was asked if the country would allow Shaik in as an immigrant. Australia has strict character requirements for admitting immigrants and even temporary visitors.

According to the Sunday Times, Chippy Shaik, the government's former head of arms procurement, was planning to "flee" to Australia to escape possible impending charges in the arms deal scandal.

The paper reported that pressure was mounting on SA authorities to co-operate with a German investigation into allegations that a R21-million bribe was paid to Shaik in the arms deal.


Shaik dismissed any suggestion that he was fleeing

But in an interview with the Independent Newspapers, Shaik dismissed any suggestion that he was fleeing and denied any knowledge of the alleged bribe. The SA authorities have also said nothing about charges against him.

Shaik said he had decided to leave for Australia because the situation in SA had become "toxic" for him and his family as a result of his brother Schabir's troubles.

Schabir Shaik is fighting corruption charges relating to his relationship with former deputy president Jacob Zuma.

Chippy Shaik cited, as part of the "toxic" atmosphere that had been created around him, the recent allegations that he had plagiarised large parts of his doctoral thesis in mechanical engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

He denied these charges too, showing Independent Newspapers a document that showed that he had acknowledged the research sources of every chapter of his thesis *1.

Shaik also showed Independent Newspapers his Australian residence visa.

The Australian official said that although Australia required any applicant for emigration to pass a stringent character test, any disqualification on character grounds would have to stand up in a tribunal and ultimately before the Australian courts.


• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on May 29, 2007

With acknowledgements to Peter Fabricius and Independent Online.


*1       Just what can this document be?

Yet, I am sitting with in my left hand a document by five authors (four Ukrainians and one Turk) dated 2000 (18 months prior to submission of the thesis) of which just 62 pages (one third of the thesis) is : repeated (copied, regurgitated) into the thesis - and this document is not cited in the bibliography.

And he says this is legit.

Not on my nelly.


And this is just one of a clutch of journal papers where the same or similar applies.