MTN/Iran: Was Ambassador Saloojee let off the hook by Dirco?
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has informed me that Ambassador Yusuf Saloojee, South Africa's former ambassador to Iran, is no longer employed by her Department, following the expiry of his contract on 31 December 2012.
In a letter dated, 20 June 2013, the Minister informed me that: "I wish to advise that Ambassador Saloojee's contract with my department expired on 31 December 2012".
Ambassador Saloojee was alleged to have taken a bribe of approximately US$200 000 from the MTN Group (Ltd) (MTN) linked to the acquisition of a mobile operating license in Iran.
An internal investigation conducted by MTN found that Ambassador Saloojee had received a loan of approximately US$200 000 from an employee of MTN, Chris Kilowan.
However, the final report of the internal investigation conducted by MTN, which was made public on 01 February 2013, found that no bribe was paid to Ambassador Saloojee.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) conducted its own internal investigation and produced a report, entitled Alleged Misconduct against a certain Ambassador Yusuf Saloojee, which was dated 28 September 2012.
We have to be sure that Ambassador Salooojee was not let off the hook by Dirco and given an easy way out when his contract expired on 31 December 2012.
First, Dirco's internal investigation was completed about four months before MTN's internal investigation.
The findings of MTN's internal investigation could therefore not have been included in the Dirco's internal investigation.
The internal investigation, conducted by MTN, also revealed that the company had:
- provided Ambassador Saloojee with an Ericsson P900 cellphone valued at R5 888.46;
- paid Ambassador Saloojee's cellphone account in the amount of R40 419 between 2005 and 2012; and
- paid various sponsorships in the amount of more than R750 000 to the South African Embassy in Iran between 2004 and 2007.
Second, the final report of Dirco's internal investigation has not been made public.
I will, therefore, be writing to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, requesting her to make the final report of the investigation into the conduct of Ambassador Yusuf Saloojee public.
Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, June 24 2013
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