Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2008-08-10 Reporter: Political Bureau

Ministers Rush to Defend President Against Arms Deal Claims

 

Publication 

Cape Argus
Date

2008-08-10
Reporter Political Bureau

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za

 

There they were again: the combative Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, who has batted for President Thabo Mbeki in chapter after chapter of the arms deal saga; a stooped Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, who in his former portfolio of Trade and Industry dealt with the offsets in the arms contracts; and a somewhat subdued justice director-general Menzi Simelane.

Last Wednesday's occasion was yet another government briefing about allegations of corruption in the arms deal - this time in the wake of last weekend's allegations of R30 million kickbacks from German submarine consortium lead company MAN-Ferrostaal.

The claim they were refuting was that Mbeki took the R30m and gave R28m to the ANC and R2m to Jacob Zuma. This allegation was apparently based on what a former spy, now deceased, had told investigators from a British private risk consultancy company.

"I state very categorically that President Mbeki in no way benefited from the arms deal," Pahad said, challenging anybody with evidence to the contrary to report such information to the "relevant authority".

The briefing was a case of déjà vu. Only last year, Pahad said in an interview that no one would find a shred of evidence to implicate Mbeki or the government in alleged arms deal corruption. *1

Meanwhile, opposition parties for years have been doggedly resurrecting old claims and airing new ones - most recently again trying to find out whether Mbeki refused to assist the Scorpions in their arms-deal investigation; whether he met arms company Thint in Paris in 1998; and whether he would set up a judicial inquiry to put the matter to rest.

Last week the presidency replied to a set of such questions from the DA. There were no surprises forthcoming.

Five years ago, when Patricia de Lille questioned the corvette deal, she was slammed by the government.

A statement at the time said government was "astounded at the ease with which she elects to question the integrity of the president" and asserted that De Lille was "regurgitating baseless allegations", some of which were being peddled by losing bidders.

That same year, Mbeki told ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe there was no point asking why a commission of inquiry had not been established.

Then there was Mbeki's stance on calls for the Heath Special Investigating Unit headed by Judge Willem Heath and had the power to have corrupt contracts cancelled, to be involved in the official probe of the corruption claims.

A letter from Zuma to Scopa's chairman, IFP MP Gavin Woods, ruled this out in a manner Woods described as "strongly worded and hostile". It later turned out to have been written by Mbeki.

Last week, Pahad and Erwin reminded the media of a Constitutional Court ruling saying it was unconstitutional for a judge to head a unit like the Heath unit.

The ministers left out of their account that at the time, Scopa did not think this prevented the unit from becoming involved in the arms deal probe.

The government didn't share that view and calls for Heath's involvement saw Mbeki go on television to launch an extraordinary attack on Heath's conduct.

Mbeki told the nation that there were only allegations and no prima facie evidence of any wrongdoing. He assured that: "All lawful investigations will continue. All wrongdoers, whoever they may be, will meet their just desserts."

With acknowledgements to Cape Argus.


*1       There is plenty documentary evidence to implicate Mbeki and/or the government in arms deal corruption.

This has indeed been handed to the relevant authority with a request to investigate.

But, as can be expected, nothing has happened.

One thing that is for sure is that the official relevant authority has neither the resources nor the inclination to investigate Mbeki.

The citizen and the fourth estate performs its statutory obligations of reporting corruption, but the government and the National Prosecuting Authority fail in their duty to investigate and prosecute corruption, except in the fewest of cases.

Even Tony Yengeni was not convicted of corruption.

And the NPA's case against Ian Elvis Pierce, Chippy Shaik's accountant and director of Futuristic Business Solutions and shareholder of African Defence Systems (Pty) Ltd,  collapsed after the most pathetic of prosecutions and with the clearest of evidence. This was not the doing of the prosecutor, Gerda Ferreira, but due to the the almost complete lack of a concerted effort and support from the NPA and SAPS.

So in the meantime Mbeki must just wallow in allegations - this is his just dessert.

Although it's quite tasty, it's not sweet enough.

Other than that, all investigations are lawful and continue.

The Fishers just keep on fishing - the bites are plenty, the fish are large *2, sometimes one gets landed, sometimes they get away. That's fishing, that's fun.

But me thinks it's more fun being a fisherman than a fish.


*2      Indeed, some make those 300 kg bluefin tuna caught off Fish Hoek in the mid-1960s look (and feel) like gilliminkies.