Publication: The Citizen
Issued:
Date: 2007-02-06
Reporter: Werner Swart
| Publication |
The Citizen
|
| Date |
2007-02-06
|
|
Reporter
|
Werner Swart |
|
Web Link
|
www.citizen.co.za |
Johannesburg
- Chippy Shaik, former head of government acquisition in the arms deal and
brother of convicted swindler Schabir Shaik, was paid a $3 million (about R21
million) bribe by one of the arms deal bidding companies, the online newsletter
of the German magazine Der Spiegel reported yesterday.
The
allegations contained in the newspaper’s article were part of the evidence
Independent Democrats (ID) leader Patricia de Lille unveiled yesterday, as further proof that the arms deal was riddled with
corruption.
According to the newspaper, internal documents of
Thyssen Krupp, a German company that supplied SA with corvettes, disclose that
Shaik requested the bribe in 1998.
The company deposited the money into
the account of a non- existent firm in London in 2000.
The lid seems
about to blow off the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal after relentless
probing by German and British authorities. There appears to be prima facie
evidence that can lead to successful prosecutions.
It is understood
both the UK and German investigations are at an advanced stage.
While
President Thabo Mbeki has remained steadfast in maintaining there was no
corruption in the deal, insisting there is no need for an investigation, De
Lille and former Judge Willem Heath believe that the time is ripe for a full
investigation.
De Lille and Heath last week met investigating authorities
in the UK and Germany. The authorities in these countries have the so-called De
Lille dossier.
Heath, in a combined statement with De Lille, said they
were informed by the German equivalent of the National Prosecuting Authority
(NPA) that the managing director of Daimler Aerospace escaped prosecution for
corruption because at the time of the bribe payments he could not be prosecuted
on this charge in terms of German law.
“Even so, he paid acknowledgement
of guilt to the tune of DM15 000 (R71 896) for embezzlement,” said Heath.
He
said the acknowledgment of guilt was confirmation luxury vehicles had been
supplied at heavily discounted prices to 30 South Africans, including Tony
Yengeni.
Yengeni was recently released after spending just four months
behind bars on his conviction for fraud and corruption.
De Lille confirmed
the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is currently probing the payment of
bribes in the procurement of South Africa’s Hawk jet tender.
“The ID
calls on (SA’s) government and NPA to assist the SFO with all relevant case
files, especially insofar as they pertain to the completed Scorpions
investigation, conducted and completed by Gerda Ferreira, into Hawk deal
corruption,” said De Lille.
She charged this investigation was smothered
by political pressure, even though it was completed in August 2003.
De
Lille, the main whistle- blower when allegations of corruption in the arms deal
started, said she failed to understand why Mbeki did not want to launch a
full-scale investigation.
De Lille portrayed the recent trip with Heath
as an attempt to help the president.
“Mbeki should stop being defensive
about corruption in the arms deal. There is prima facie evidence that can
lead to successful prosecutions,” she said.
“Why does he not see the
investigations as an opportunity to strengthen his hand in
cleaning up the image of the country and his government?”
With acknowledgements to Werner Swart and The Citizen.