Publication: News24 Issued: Date: 2007-02-04 Reporter: Sapa

Chippy Shaik 'was paid $3m'

 

Publication 

News24

Date

2007-02-04

Reporter

 Sapa

Web Link

 www.news24.com

 

Cape Town - Chippy Shaik, former head of government acquisition in the arms deal and brother of convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik, was paid a $3m (about R21 million) bribe by one of the arms deal bidding companies, Germany's on-line newspaper Spiegel reported on Sunday.

According to the newspaper internal documents of Thyssen Krupp - a German company that supplied South Africa with war corvette ships - has revealed that Shaik had requested the bribe in 1998.

The company deposited the money to a non-existing company in London in 2000.

The allegations contained in the newspaper's article were part of the evidence which Independent Democratic (ID) leader Patricia De Lille on Sunday showed to reporters as further proof that the arms deal was riddled with corruption.

She has just arrived from Germany and the UK where she interacted with those countries authorities in their arms deal investigation.

Government 'in denial'

"The ID wants to commend both the German NPA (national prosecuting authority) and the UK SFO (serious fraud office) for investigating the allegations contained in the De Lille Dossier.

"The South African government has been sitting on these allegations since 1999, instead of thoroughly investigating them, it has been in denial ever since," she said.

The investigations in both countries, De Lille said, were now at an advanced stage.

All that was now needed was for the South African government to co-operate with these two countries for the investigation to be concluded, said De Lille .

"Because the ultimate responsibility for the South African arms deal rests with President Thabo Mbeki, we must ask ourselves - what does he have to hide? *1" asked De Lille.

Mbeki, who as deputy president (at the time) presided over the cabinet committee responsible for the arms acquisition process.

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News24.


*1       What does he have to hide, indeed?

Plenty.