Regter Willie Seriti

Getuies wat oor minder as twee maande voor die Seriti-kommissie moet verskyn, is in die duister oor wat met die kommissie aan die gang is en wat tydens hul verskyning van hulle verwag gaan word.

Getuies met wie Beeld gepraat het, het gesê hulle is verlede jaar per brief in kennis gestel dat hulle sal moet getuig, maar nie een van hulle het intussen weer gehoor nie van die kommissie, wat aangestel is om die omstrede wapenskandaal te ondersoek.

“Die kommissie het gesê ek sal later in kennis gestel word van die aspekte waaroor ek moet getuig,” het dr. Richard Young, een van die onsuksesvolle tenderaars in die wapentransaksie, gesê.

“Ek het gesê ek het minstens vier maande nodig om voor te berei. Hulle het gesê ek sal in die eerste week van Januarie ingelig word. Die verhore begin op 16?Maart en ek het nog niks gehoor nie.”

Die kommissie was vandeesweek in die kollig nadat ’n verdoemende bedankingsbrief deur ’n ondersoeker, Norman Moabi, uitgelek en die kommissie se integriteit onder verdenking geplaas het.

Die kommissie is in Oktober 2011 aangestel, maar het al erken hy sal moontlik nie sy sperdatum van November haal nie.

Terry Crawford-Browne, wapentransaksie-aktivis, het gesê ook hy is in die duister oor die besonderhede van die verhore en waarom dit lyk of die kommissie nie werklik vordering maak nie.

Die DA-LP David Maynier, nog ’n getuie, het gesê hy is bekommerd omdat geen ondersoekbeampte of lid van die kommissie hom nog gekontak het sedert hy gehoor het hy moet getuig nie.

Adv. Paul Hoffman, direkteur van die Instituut vir Verantwoordbaarheid in Suider-Afrika, het gesê oudregter Willie Seriti, voorsitter van die kommissie, is Suid-Afrika ’n verduideliking verskuldig nadat die bom vandeesweek gebars het.

William Baloyi, kommissie-woordvoerder, wou nie sê of die kommissie beplan om Moabi se bewerings te ondersoek nie.

Hy het gesê die kommissie sal Maandag ’n breedvoerige verklaring uitreik.

Baloyi het vroeër bewerings ontken dat die kommissie se werk opsetlik uitgerek word.

Hy het gesê dit is onwaar dat die kommissie die afgelope jaar en ’n half niks vermag het nie.

Volgens inligting op sy webtuiste het die kommissie die afgelope jaar en ’n half gebruik om inligting van verskeie departemente en die publiek aan te vra.

Die kommissie het dokumente van meer as 4,5?miljoen bladsye gekry om deur te werk, getuies gedagvaar, onderhoude gevoer en beplanning gedoen vir die openbare verhore wat eersdaags begin.

With acknowledgement to Maryna Lamprecht en Beeld.

Weapons: Witnesses in dark

Beeld
Maryna Lamprecht
2013-01-18
http://translate.google.co.za/translate?hl=en&sl=af&u=http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Wapens-Getuies-in-duister-20130118&prev=/search%3Fq%3DRichard%2BYoung%26hl%3Den%26cr%3DcountryZA%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DDU7%26sa%3DX%26tbo%3Dd%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26biw%3D1200%26bih%3D613%26tbs%3Dqdr:d,ctr:countryZA&sa=X&ei=NCz6UNSmLOWs0QW0oYH4DA&ved=0CEkQ7gEwBQ

[Google online translation with some touchup]

Witnesses who are to appear in less than two months before the Seriti commission are in the dark about what is going on with the commission and what will be expected of them during their appearances.

Witnesses who spoke to Beeld, said they were last year notified by letter that they would have to testify, but none of them have since heard from the commission which was appointed to investigate the controversial arms deal.

"The commission has said I will be notified later of the aspects about which I should testify," said dr. Richard Young, one of the unsuccessful bidders in the arms deal.

"I said I need at least four months to prepare. They said I will be informed in the first week of January. The hearings begin at 16 March and I've heard nothing. "

The commission was in the spotlight this week after a damning resignation letter by an investigator, Norman Moabi was leaked and the commission's integrity compromised.

The commission was appointed in October 2011, but admits it might not make its deadline of November.

Terry Crawford-Browne, arms deal activist, said he was in the dark about the details of the commission's hearings and why it seems not really making progress.

The DA David Maynier, another witness, said he is concerned because no investigator or a member of the commission has contacted him since he heard that he should testify.

Adv. Paul Hoffman, director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa, said judge Willie Seriti, chairman of the commission, South Africa owed an explanation after the bomb burst this week.

William Baloyi, commission spokesman, declined to say whether the commission planned to investigate Moabi's allegations.

He said the commission will issue a detailed statement on Monday.

Baloyi had earlier denied allegations that the commission's work had been deliberately prolonged.

He said it was untrue that the commission had accomplished nothing during the last year and a half .

According to information on its website, the commission had during the last year and a half asked for information from various departments and the public.

The commission had to work through documents of more than 4,5 million pages, had subpoenaed witnesses, conducted interviews and done planning for the public hearings starting soon.

With acknowledgement to Maryna Lamprecht en Beeld.