Lawyer lobbies Mabandla to keep German probe at bay

The government is stalling on potentially explosive probes into alleged kickbacks in the country's billion-rand arms deal.

A German request for help is getting nowhere fast and a police investigation into alleged discounts to VIPs for luxury vehicles is still not completed.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that a lawyer acting for one of those under scrutiny by German investigators has been lobbying the Justice Department and even met Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla late last year.

Corruption and alleged corruption in the arms deal has seen former chief whip Tony Yengeni and Schabir Shaik convicted, and ANC president Jacob Zuma set to go on trial in August. But allegations that other senior figures were involved in corrupt deals have largely been ignored by South African investigators.

The Justice ministry last year confirmed receiving a formal request of assistance from German investigators probing claims that Thyssen Krupp bribed South African officials and politicians to secure the sale of warships to the South African Navy.

But it has now emerged that the government stalled, saying it needed more details from the Germans. Justice spokesman Zolile Nqayi said last week that director general Menzi Simelane was still waiting to hear from "German authorities in respect of their investigation into claims of corruption in the arms deal".

But according to German prosecutions spokesman Arno Neukirchen, the investigators have long since responded to the South Africans and are still awaiting an answer.

Also awaiting an answer is Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, who a year ago laid charges against 29 prominent South Africans who allegedly received discounts on luxury cars linked to the arms deal.

De Lille has prepared the ground for a private prosecution if the authorities decline to pursue the matter, but has been stymied by police, who say they are still investigating.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has been approached by a lawyer seeking to ward off the Germans.

The Mail and Guardian reported on Friday that a lawyer acting for Sven Moeller, a local Thyssen representative, wrote to Mabandla and Simelane, then went personally to Mabandla's home late last year. This visit was confirmed by Nqayi, who said the minister had been surprised.

It has also emerged in documentation that Tony Georgiades, a confidant of the government past and present and former Thyssen lobbyist, paid R500 000 to the ANC - a claim first made by De Lille.

Georgiades also paid R500 000 to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Graça Machel's charity in Mozambique - payments argued to be unconnected to attempts to win influence over the arms deal bidding process.

Georgiades was allegedly a sanctions buster of apartheid and formerly close to ex-president FW de Klerk, who is now married to Georgiades's ex-wife, Elita.

The shipping magnate later reportedly developed relationships with influential ANC figures, including former Justice Minister Penuell Maduna, former National Prosecuting Authority boss Bulelani Ngcuka and President Thabo Mbeki.

Bizarrely, Georgiades was an intermediary between the NPA and Thales/Thint at one point.

British police recently raided the business premises of Georgiades, whose association with the Thyssen consortium apparently dates back to 1994.

With acknowledgement to Chiara Carter and Cape Argus.