Cape Town The Democratic Alliance (DA) yesterday released a document
emanating from Germany which allegedly linked senior government officials and
cabinet members directly to bribes paid by the German Frigate Consortium (GFC)
so that it would win the tender to supply corvettes.
The document was last year's letter to Swiss authorities requesting judicial
assistance from the chief public prosecutor in Dusseldorf, Germany, who was
continuing to investigate the allegations.
The prosecutor alleged that the GFC, led by German manufacturer
Thyssen, paid "considerable bribes" to both government
officials and cabinet members to win the tender in contravention of the
Prevention of International Corruption Act.
The German prosecutor's letter said that the alleged bribe payments were part of
the consortium's officially submitted offer and Thyssen intended to deduct them
from tax as operational expenses.
DA public accounts spokes-man Eddie Trent urged President Thabo Mbeki at a media
conference to appoint an independent judicial commission of inquiry to
investigate the allegations of arms deal corruption which have persisted for
about a decade.
"The president needs to deal with the issue he cannot continue ducking it,"
Trent said.
He said the document highlighted the central role played
by former head of acquisitions Chippy Shaik in the manipulation of the
tender process to ensure the GFC was selected as the preferred bidder over the
initially chosen Spanish-led consortium. Shaik allegedly received $3m.
Trent said the documents would be forwarded to Justice Minister Brigitte
Mabandla with a request that she explain how her department intended to
co-operate with the German investigation and gave an
assurance that she would insist that all government departments and law
enforcement agencies co-operated as well.
Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) would not make its arms deal
report public, it said . The ANC said it noted the Congress of SA Trade Union's
call via the media to have the outcome of its arms deal report made public.
With acknowledgements to Linda Ensor
and Business
Day.