Publication: Business Day
Issued:
Date: 2007-01-22
Reporter: Errol Goetsch
Mava
B Scott tells the facts but misses their meaning, No facts in frenzy (January
18).
In justifying Tony Yengeni serving a sixth of his sentence, Scott
fails to ask why he was charged under section 271(1) of the Criminal Procedures
Act at all. The answer is the plea bargain: seeing that a R5 000 fine (the
original deal) would too obviously be a let-off, Yengeni was offered the
lightest rap on the knuckles possible early release and
prison comforts and an African National Congress (ANC) pension in return for
pleading guilty and keeping arms deal backhanders out of court and the
news.
Why else did Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour show
his face before Yengeni’s release if not to ensure he knew the rewards for keeping quiet, and why else would Yengeni
emerge so unrepentant?
South Africans are not
stupid: we see a cover-up of how many ANC snouts were in the
arms deal trough, how many tax rands went into weapons we do not need, and payoffs we do not want, and how
the machinery of law is being abused.
Errol
Goetsch
JohannesburgWith acknowledgement to Errol Goetsch and Business
Day.
Mr Goetsch has got it just about spot on.