JOHANNESBURG - The Scorpions are investigating payments of millions allegedly made by convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik into overseas bank accounts of former Transport Minister Mac Maharaj, the Rapport newspaper reported yesterday.

The payments, made between 1996 and 2000, were allegedly connected to the awarding of tenders during Maharaj’s tenure. During this period Maharaj’s department awarded two tenders, worth billions, from which Shaik’s companies benefited. The contracts were for the issuing of credit-card format driver’s licences, and for parts of the N3 toll road between Johannesburg and Durban.

The accounts, in the name of Maharaj and/or his wife Zarina, were held in Britain, the Isle of Man as well as Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland. Scorpions investigators want to know the origin of the payments, according to Rapport. French arms company Thint had a 33,3% stake in the R650 million driver’s licence contract, the newspaper said. The DA said Maharaj must co-operate with the Scorpions investigation.

The party was calling on Maharaj to produce any evidence he had in order to refute the allegations against him, said DA transport spokesman Stuart Farrow. The tender for the driver’s licences was irregularly extended last year, said Farrow.

The Scorpions investigation should also establish what benefit, if any, taxpayers got from the deal. “If the allegations are correct, then only Mr Maharaj and Mr Shaik benefited from the deal. “The credit card drivers’ licence, however, contains a finger print imprint which is too small to be registered on bar code machines. “The card also does not show the first name of the driver but rather just the first initial,” Farrow said.

Maharaj has refused to comment on the matter, according to the Rapport article. – Sapa.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Citizen.