The spotlight is on Judge Willie Seriti following the resignation of senior arms deal commission investigator Norman Moabi. In his resignation letter, Moabi cited an alleged hidden agenda at the Arms Procurement Commission headed by Judge Seriti.

The commission, appointed by President Jacob Zuma to investigate the decade-old arms deal saga, is scheduled to start public hearings in March.

Paul Hoffman, director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa, said: “Seriti himself must deal with each and every allegation contained in that letter, otherwise his credibility is shot to pieces. Unless he is able to show that Moabi is talking through his hat … or has an ulterior motive, I think his goose is cooked. One doesn’t want to jump to conclusions; [Seriti] must be given an opportunity to clear his name. This [Moabi’s resignation] is not an attack on the commission, it is an attack on Seriti.

“Nobody said the commission or the secretariat has done anything wrong and there is no complaint about anyone else. It is up to Seriti himself to rebut what has been put out. I’ve said he must explain, resign, or face the consequences,” Hoffman said.

Moabi’s resignation letter surfaced this week and triggered rumours that more may follow.

In the letter he said: “I am unable to be part of this commission since I have satisfied myself that the chairperson seems to have other ideas and modus operandi to achieve with the commission what is not the clear mandate of the enabling Government Gazette.” He also raised concerns that:

The direction in which the commission was headed would not achieve its original mandate;

Judge Seriti had a “total obsession with the control of the flow of information”;

“Unknown person(s)” dictated processes at the commission; and

“Unknown persons” decided which evidence leaders would deal with specific witnesses.

Moabi wrote under the headline “The penny has dropped” that he was concerned by comments made by people at the commission, such as “When we will have dealt with the first witnesses, they will not again make noises in the media”.

Judge Seriti and commission spokesman William Baloyi declined to comment.

With acknowledgement to Werner Swart, Sabelo Skiti and Sunday Times.