| Publication |
Business Report |
| Date | 2011-10-14 |
| Reporter | Donwald Pressly |
| Web Link | www.iol.co.za |
President Jacob Zuma. Photo: Leon Nicholas
The anti-arms deal campaigner Terry Crawford-Browne’s lead counsel believes
that the announcement of the terms of reference of the arms deal commission
of inquiry will be announced shortly. And he believes a proper inquiry will
be launched.
Paul Hoffman, the director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern
Africa and lead counsel for Terry Crawford-Browne – who for 12 years has
waged war in the courts to get the multibillion-rand arms deal
reinvestigated – said last night: “I remain optimistic”.
Down the line, he said, it was possible that
about R70 billion would be repaid to the state by the arms companies. *1
However, if the terms of reference were unsatisfactorily narrow, it
was likely they would continue to fight the case in court, he pledged. The
Constitutional Court is set to rule on Crawford-Browne’s application on
November 17.
Hoffman said that in discussions with the state over the case the state had
asked for an extension of time to October 20, which now appeared to be a
significant date for further action.
The president announced in mid-September that a commission would be
constituted amid speculation that he did not want the court to set the
agenda of the inquiry.
Hoffman noted that it was the institute’s proposal that a retired chief
justice head the commission with other judges taking responsibility for each
leg of the arms deal: the Gripen aircraft associated with the BAE/Saab
contract, the corvettes associated with the French, the German submarine
consortium and the Italian helicopter contract.
The equipment was provided to the SA Air Force and the SA Navy through what
became known as the arms deal.
Yesterday cabinet spokesman Jimmy Manyi deferred questions to presidency
spokesman Mac Maharaj, but he did say: “Watch this space.” Announcements on
the arms deal inquiry were the preserve of the presidency, not the cabinet.
Maharaj said yesterday that he could not provide “any clues” as to when the
commission or its terms would be announced. He did note that the president,
last week, said it would likely take place within two weeks – adding weight
to the belief that an announcement is imminent.
David Maynier, the DA’s defence spokesman, said the delay of the
announcement “is probably the result of the fact that (the ANC) had not been
informed about the decision to appoint a commission”.
Just in the case of the BAE-SAAB leg of the deal, he said, about R1bn had
allegedly flowed in bribes to win the deal. “The question is who received
the forward payments and how much did they receive?”
Maynier noted that the president might himself, ironically, appear as a
witness before the commission.
With acknowledgements to Donwald Pressly and Business Report.
*
But what a great idea.
Then the SA Navy can afford its new offshore patrol vessels with the
wherewithal it deter pirates and poachers.
But that just may take another two decades.
Airbus Military, a division of EADS, has owed us R2,9 billion for about two
years after it defaulted on the A400M contract.
Yet we have still been unable to get this small amount out of it in clear
contract law circumstances.
Getting R70 billion out of Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems, BAE Systems, Saab
and Thales might require a third world war.
Ironically, then we'll need the equipment we purchased, except that we will
need a loan from Mark Scratcher for spares, fuel and ordnance for the
equipment with which to wage war.
If he does it on a contingency basis, he might get say 20% of the R70
billion.
It's worth a squirt.