Publication: Sunday Times Issued: Date: 2007-01-28 Reporter: Rowan Philp

Mbeki Blasts Blair for Hypocrisy

 

Publication 

Sunday Times

Date

2007-01-28

Reporter

 Rowan Philp

Web Link

www.sundaytimes.co.za

 

Davos, Switzerland : President Thabo Mbeki has accused UK Prime Minister Tony Blair of hypocrisy in the arms deal bribery scandal ­ and of unfairly exposing South Africa to the taint of corruption.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mbeki mocked Blair’s reasons for cancelling a graft investigation into British aerospace company BAE Systems’ dealings with the Saudi government, while demanding an investigation of South Africa’s involvement with the same company.

His surprise broadside follows a request by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office that the Scorpions assist its probe into alleged kickbacks paid by BAE to the staff of former Defence Minister Joe Modise, in exchange for buying their aircraft.

Blair had last year ordered a halt to a parallel investigation into a BAE contract to supply 72 Eurofighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia, saying it would “have a devastating effect for our relationship with an important country”.

Having been unaware of his need to speak 90 minutes prior to the start of a high-level debate on Africa at Davos, Mbeki stunned a crowd ­ including the Nato supreme commander and business heavyweights Patrice Motsepe and Tony Trahar ­ with his bitterness over British double standards.

Speaking afterwards, Mbeki said the move had left South Africa tainted with the spectre of corruption *1, and confirmed his belief that African countries were unfairly singled out in bribery inquiries.

Mbeki said he had decided to co-operate with the Serious Fraud Office inquiry only “because we are very interested to end the perception of any corrupt activity” *2.

Mbeki also dismissed the bribery investigation ­ linked to his own office ­ regarding the sale of warships to South Africa by the German Thyssen Group.

Meanwhile, Moipone Malefane reports that Mbeki will today respond to an African Peer Review Mechanism report which lists crime, corruption, poverty, unemployment and the ANC’s political domination as threats to the stability of South Africa’s hard-won democracy.

Mbeki is expected to address the matter at the African Peer Review Forum, which is part of the African Union Conference of Heads of State and Government being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

With acknowledgement to Rowan Philp and Sunday Times.


*1       It is Mbeki that is tainted with the spectre of corruption.

90% of the rest of South Africa wants an independent enquiry into the Arms Deal that will rid the country of at least this one aspect of corruption.


*2      Mbeki is only very interested in ending the perception of any corrupt activity, not in ending the matter with a good few convictions and long spells of incarceration in various private hospitals around the country (if not, at least the hospital section of a correctional institution of one's choice).

Mbeki himself is clearly guilty of gross irregularity in the corvette combat suite part of the Arms Deal, if not criminality arising out of the constitutional imperatives in this regard.