Publication: Pretoria News
Issued:
Date: 2007-03-28
Reporter: Frank Hartry
Independent
Democrats leader Patricia de Lille has bravely
accused 29 prominent people of corruption, alleging they received large
discounts via the arms deal.
These allegations have been around for some
years.
If they are found not guilty, the accused
could sue De Lille in civil court for defamation and libel.
However, if the 29 accused fail to insist on having their day in
court to prove their innocence, the public will naturally believe that "there is no smoke without fire" *1.
Frank
Hartry
Kingsburgh
With acknowledgements to Frank
Hartry and Pretoria News.
Before these matters actually going to court, the
following should happen :
- EADS should issue a sworn statement as to exactly why the discounts were
given;
- Micky Woerfel in his own name should issue a sworn statement as to exactly
why the discounts were given;
- each of the recipients should be interviewed under oath using Section 28 of
the NPA Act and provide an explanation as to exactly why the discount was given
and received;
- the investigation authority, either DSO or SAPS, should compile and make
public an investigation report into the entire matter with detail findings and
sound reasoning being given for either prosecuting or not prosecuting some or
all of the recipients.
In general, at least the public servants
among the recipients might find it very difficult to satisfactorily explain why
they received discounts from a bidder during a formal bidding
process.
The fact that all the recipients were directly connected to the
Arms Deal bidding process and that the offerer was a major foreign armaments
manufacturer, aggressively bidding for all or most of the deal, makes at least
the context abundantly clear.
Also the fact that recipient Vanan Pillay
was internally disciplined by the Department of Trade and Industry surely
supports the conclusion of Letters Correspondent Frank Hartry's that "there is
no smoke without fire".
This ball is in the hands of SAPS and/or
DSO.