UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
MEDIA RELEASE
IF CABINET INFLUENCED ARMS INVESTIGATORS, AUDITOR GENERAL MUST RESIGN
STATEMENT
ISSUED BY BANTU HOLOMISA, MP
UDM PRESIDENT
Following
revelations last week that the Cabinet had influenced the drafting of the
preliminary and final arms report, the UDM is shocked to learn of new
allegations that the investigation itself was indeed managed by Cabinet. It is
reported that an "audit steering committee" was established which was
in a position to directly influence the extent and direction of the Auditor
General's investigation.
The fact that people suspected of wrongdoing, such as Chippy Shaik and Vanan
Pillay, reportedly served on this committee, brings the whole investigation into
disrepute. The minutes of the first meeting of this "steering committee"
reportedly contain the statement by the Auditor General that Shaik is thanked
for laying "a solid foundation" for the investigation with his own
inputs.
Is it any wonder that the investigators refused to answer our questions
regarding their terms of reference, despite the 14th Report of SCOPA? Instead
the terms of reference appear to have been determined by Cabinet through this
"steering committee".
If this is the case, the Parliament of this country has been misled. The UDM is
especially concerned that the Auditor General who is, according to the
Constitution, answerable to Parliament did not indicate the existence of this
"steering committee" or the Apartheid era legislation that Cabinet had
used since 1999 to control this investigation.
The rightful parliamentary representatives of the people of South Africa have
been consistently sidelined and undermined in their quest to investigate this
arms deal. The UDM calls upon Parliament to treat this latest arms report as an
interim report, and that a judicial commission of inquiry must be established to
immediately investigate these matters.
The Auditor General must resign if media reports regarding this "steering
committee" are confirmed.
Enquiries:
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
UDM President
Pretoria
30 November 2001