Hawks probe Sexwale’s bombshell
Economic unit looks into ANC veteran’s claim that trillions of donated money stolen from Reserve Bank
HAWKS head Godfrey Lebeya last night confirmed that ANC veteran and businessman Tokyo Sexwale has lodged a complaint with it regarding claims that billions of donor funds were stolen at the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) over a period of four years.
Lebeya indicated that a criminal case is yet to be opened.
Lebeya said Sexwale registered the complaint with his office and this was referred to the Serious Economic Offences Unit for investigation.
“They are conducting an investigation on the matter but no criminal case has been opened yet,” he said.
On Monday, the Treasury and the Sarb denied Sexwale’s claims made during an interview on eNCA.
However, yesterday Sexwale reiterated the allegations, saying, he alongside his team, had discovered that fraud had occurred when they sought to access the billions allegedly deposited into the central bank’s account. He said their intention to access the money was to assist the government to increase the Social Relief of Distress grant from R350 to R2 700 a month for each of the unemployed recipients.
Sexwale also indicated they had offered to make a donation to the Solidarity Fund under Gloria Serobe with the aim to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and that the bulk of the funds was meant for free education.
Despite the denial by the Treasury and Sarb, Sexwale insisted billions of donor funds were stolen from the central bank and allegedly channelled to 18 local commercial banks, including various prominent business people.
He said these funds were donated to African governments by the undisclosed owner of the money who lived in Singapore. Sexwale also claimed the owner of the cash deposited it into the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, with the view of assisting with philanthropic and humanitarian needs of all governments in Africa and Indian Ocean Island States.
He said the cash deposited amounted to 12 zeroes in US dollars and was supposed to be used to improve infrastructure and free education.
He said the cash was also supposed to be used for the procurement of bullet trains, which President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his State of the Nation Address in 2019.
He reiterated that both former president Jacob Zuma and President Cyril Ramaphosa were aware of the money under the custody of the central bank and that it was the “hub of money laundering”.
In a thinly veiled attack on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, Sexwale said if he was scammed, as reported, Mboweni had a responsibility to report such a scam to the police.
He also gave an account of how, in February 2019, he raised awareness of the matter to the ANC’s Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile .
According to him, the “thieves” were now returning the same cash allegedly in a form of investment following Ramaphosa’s numerous calls for international investments.
Last night, the Treasury and the Sarb declined to comment on the latest allegations by Sexwale.
Presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale said the Presidency associated itself with the views of the National Treasury and the Reserve Bank. Zuma’s spokesperson Vukile Mathabela said he has yet to verify Sexwale’s allegations.