A decision to drop charges against ANC president Jacob Zuma could impact
upon at least two other related arms deal probes.
The controversial multi-billion arms deal has been plagued by allegations of
corruption since it was signed in 1999. Several winning bidders from Germany,
Britain and France still stand accused of bribing senior South African
government officials and politicians to win contracts.
However, should Zuma walk, it is likely that his co-accused, French arms company
Thint, could be off the hook.
Thint which last month asked the Pietermaritzburg High Court to drop charges
of racketeering, corruption and money laundering against it is alleged to have
agreed to pay Zuma R500000 a year in exchange for protection from arms deal
investigations. Thint was part of a consortium awarded the corvette combat suite
contract.
The ANC president’s former financial adviser, convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik,
who was part of the consortium, is said to have facilitated the bribe.
The probe into British arms giant BAE, which supplied South Africa with Hawk and
Gripen aircraft, was reopened by local investigators last year. It followed
claims that BAE had bribed several roleplayers, including former defence
minister Joe Modise and his political adviser Fana Hlongwane.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office is also running its own investigation into
“commissions” to the tune of £75-million paid to senior South African officials.
But yesterday, national prosecuting authority spokesman Tlali Tlali refused to
be drawn on the issue, saying tomorrow’s decision was about Zuma, not the arms
deal.
“This is about Mr Zuma and Mr Zuma alone,” said Tlali. “The decision is not
about other arms deal investigations ... we have not said other arms deal
investigations are closed.”
Last year Germany closed its lengthy investigation into the sale by German
company ThyssenKrupp of four corvettes to the SA Navy. It was alleged that this
came in the wake of a lack of co-operation from South African authorities, a
charge government has denied.