Die Auditeur-Generaal, Shauket Fakie, het verlof tot appel laat vaar teen ‘n hofbeslissing dat hy dokumente oor die ondersoek na ‘n wapenooreenkoms aan ‘n onsuksesvolle bieër, Richard Young, oorhandig.

Hy sê hy was nie seker hoe om die hofbeslissing te vertolk nie, maar het na samesprekings met Mnr Young se regsadviseur helderheid daaroor.

Mnr Young se rekenaarmaatskappy het misluk met ‘n tender om gevegstegnologie aan 4 korvette in die strategiese verdedigingspakket te voorsien. Hy beweer daar was politieke inmenging en ongeruimdhede in die toekenning van die kontrakte.

Veld Verslaggewer : Mnr Young het by die Auditeur-Generaal aansoek gedoen om toegang tot die dokumente wat tydens ‘n gesamentlike wapenondersoek versamel is. Die Auditeur-Generaal het die versoek geweier en gesê dis te wyd.

Die Pretoriase Hooggeregshof het egter beslis dat die dokumente oorhandig moet word. Mnr Fakie het aansoek gedoen ter verlof om te appelleer. Hy sê hy wou teen die hofbeslissing appelleer omdat hy dit misverstaan het. Daar is egter intussen ‘n verstandhouding met Mnr Young bereik waarvolgens hy gedeeldtes van die verslag sal kry.

Mnr Fakie : The court order said that I've still got to apply my mind in terms of the documents that I can make available to Richard Young. So I've still got to go through documents, look at what is sensitive, look at what is confidential and only make those documents available which I believe, you know, doesn't have any sensitivity or confidentiality to it.

Veld Verslaggewer : Mnr Fakie sê dit sal sy kantoor minstens 40 dae neem om die inligting te sif. Maar Mnr Young dring daarop aan om die inligting gouer te kry.

Dr Young : With the documents I think it should be fairly common knowledge that there have been some shenanigans or a lot of shenanigans on this arms deal. Yengeni is just actually a scapegoat. But that indicates that there is something. I want to use the documents to try to expose the rest of the irregularities and possibly even criminal actions that have taken place.

Veld Verslaggewer : Die ooreenkoms beteken Mnr Young sal toegelaat word alsekere gedeeltes van die inligting openbaar te maak, maar sekere gedeeltes bly vertroulik.

SAUK - Pretoria

The Auditor-General, Shauket Fakie, has withdrawn his appeal against a court ruling ordering him to hand over documents relating to the arms deal investigation. Richard Young's computer systems company lost their bid to provide combat technology for 4 Naval corvettes. Young applied to the AG for documents gathered during investigations into the deal. The AG denied the request saying it was too broad. But the Pretoria High Court ruled that the documents had to be handed over and Fakie applied for leave to appeal the decision.

An agreement has now been reached and the AG's office will provide Young with certain documentation.

With acknowledgements to the News Reader and the SABC.