Minister Malusi Gigaba must immediately hand over the findings of forensic investigations conducted into Deputy Finance Minister, Sfiso Buthelezi, when he was Chairperson of the Prasa Board, to the Hawks as supplementary evidence into their ongoing investigations into Prasa.
Media reports today claim that the findings of the forensic investigations, dating back as far as 2010, reveal how the Deputy Minister, his Board and Prasa executives, violated various sections of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and failed to carry out their fiduciary duties when they turned a blind eye to irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in various tender procurement processes.
These investigations were commissioned by Treasury, following recommendations from the Public Protector’s Derailed report. Findings from these probes have apparently been handed over to Treasury recently – which means that Finance Minister and ironically, his implicated Deputy will now have to deal with these findings.
The DA will write to Minister Gigaba to request that he urgently hand the full dossier on Buthelezi over to the Hawks as we will not allow him to sweep these damning allegations under rug.
It is clear that both the Finance Minister and his Deputy have been placed in their positions to promote the Guptas’ interests, but we will not allow the ANC’s captured Gupta-Ministers to protect one another.
The DA has already written to Transport Committee Chairperson, Dikeledi Magadzi, to request that the Hawks be summoned to Parliament to give an up to date report on its progress in its ongoing investigations into Prasa.
Last week, the DA laid criminal charges against Minister Buthelezi as it appears that the Minister might have been involved in corrupt activities at Prasa.
As a Minister in charge of such an important portfolio, he must be beyond reproach. Sadly this is not the case. The DA will ensure that any Minister or public official that have been implicated in State Capture are investigated to the fullest extent of the law.
Statement issued by Manny de Freitas MP, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, 11 June 2017
