Arms Deal: DA submits access to information requests for documents to Hawks/NPA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted access to information requests for all documents relating to the arms deal in the possession of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The remaining two active legs of the investigation into the arms deal - which included investigations into the German Frigate Consortium and British Aerospace - have been closed by the Hawks.

The investigation into the arms deal may have been shut down but the fact remains there are hundreds of boxes of documents and millions of computer generated documents, relating to the arms deal, in the possession of the Hawks and NPA.

General Anwar Dramat, Head of the Hawks, told parliament that there were 460 boxes of documents and 4.7 million computer generated documents relating to the arms deal in the possession of the Hawks.

For that reason, I have submitted a number of requests for access to information in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No.
2 of 2000).

These include requests for access to:

* all documents relating to the investigation into the Strategic Defence Packages;

* all documents relating to the decision to close the investigation into the German Frigate Consortium and British Aerospace; and

* all documents relating to mutual legal assistance arrangements with foreign investigating and prosecuting authorities dealing with the investigation into the Strategic Defence Packages.

The fact is that access to these documents is likely to expose the biggest case of corruption - and the biggest cover-up of corruption - in the history of South Africa.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, October 24 2010

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