[2013-02-26]


Arms Procurement Commission


Media Statement: Postponement of the Public Hearings

The Arms Procurement Commission hereby announces that it has decided to defer the hearings which were due to commence on 4th March 2013.

The first phase of the hearings will now commence on the 5th August 2013 and run until the end of November 2013. The need to postpone the hearings arose primarily out of what transpired during the on-going consultations that the Commission’s evidence leaders have been conducting with key witnesses in the course of February 2013, as set out hereunder.

1. In the process of consulting with the witnesses and discovery, the evidence leaders are being referred to an increasing number of documents in the possession of the witnesses which have not yet been seen by the Commission. The additional documents are only coming in now and are voluminous. There is insufficient time to peruse and analyse these, supplement the Commission’s bundles, consult with the witnesses in respect of such documents and deal with the issues arising therefrom.

2. The witnesses are also making suggestions as to the source of other documents and other areas to investigate. In addition, further allegations are being made against individuals and entities. The adjournment will enable the investigations relating to these and other allegations to be completed and adequate notice to be given to all implicated persons.

3. A further consideration is that panels of independent, specialist investigators (e.g. forensic auditors) have been engaged to probe aspects of the terms of reference and to report to the Commission. Their reports are not yet available and it is advisable that these be available during the public hearings.

4. The Commission wishes to extend its sincere apologies for any inconvenience that the postponement may cause to interested parties but assures the public that everything possible will be done to see to it that the public hearings commence as indicated above. As a matter of fact, our evidence leaders are continuing with the consultations with the witnesses to ensure that they are ready come the 5th of August 2013 and that all logistical problems are resolved.

Issued by:

Mr William Baloyi
Spokesperson: Arms Procurement Commission
Cell: 078 095 9477/012 358 3999
Email: wbaloyi@armscomm.org.za


21ST Floor Private Bag X02
ISIVUNO HOUSE The Tramshed
North West South Africa
Cnr of Madiba and Pretoria
Lilian Ngoyi Streets, 0126
Pretoria
South Africa

Tel: 012 358 3999
Fax: 012 358 3969
www.armscomm.org.za Email: admin@armscomm.org.za

Commissioners : LW Seriti JA (Chairperson); HTM Musi JP ; FM Legodi J
Head of Secretariat : P.N Luphondo

It the main the blame for the delay is made by the commission on the witnesses.

This is unadulterated nonsense.

There is no increase in the number of documents. That is a constant.

It's just that the commission has waited 18 months to find out what documents there are.

The vast number of allegations against other parties have been in relevant affidavits, formal submissions and a clutch of books written by three of the witnesses.

There are no new allegations against other parties. Indeed the opposite is more likely.

It's just that the commission has waited 18 months to find out who are the implicated parties.

Every single bit of blame for this delay can be attributed to the conduct, or more accurately the lack thereof, of the commission for the last 18 months.

In my view I doubt that the commission will have done a third of its work by the time that the first set of witness are complete in giving their evidence by the end of November 2103, which is already a month later that the two years given to it..

Today's press statement is not even dated.

[Hence my square brackets around the date I inserted for the record.]