NPA confirms Gupta and state capture investigations
THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed in Parliament it is investigating several contracts involving the Guptas, including its coal contracts with Eskom, its botched tie-up with Denel and VR Laser, and the Free State dairy farm that funded a lavish family wedding at Sun City.
In addition, the NPA is investigating allegations made by former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas of being offered a bribe of R600 million to assume the position of his then boss Nhlanhla Nene.
The matter of Trillian and Transnet is also part of the investigations by the NPA.
Answering questions in Parliament yesterday, NPA head Shaun Abrahams denied protecting President Jacob Zuma in the Gupta investigations.
He denied he was loyal to Zuma and that was why he was not prosecuting him over his links to the Guptas.
“I am not loyal to any person. I have never been loyal to any person. I am loyal to me. I have one God I am loyal to,” said Abrahams.
His response came after Sam Matiase of the EFF questioned his slow pace in bringing those implicated in the Gupta leaks, and other allegations of state capture, including Zuma, to book.
Matiase said Abrahams would not bite the hand that feeds him, and this explained his reluctance to prosecute Zuma.
The DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach also questioned the approach by the NPA in investigating state capture. She said the NPA had also not acted on the investigation into Nkandla, despite crim- inal charges laid against Zuma in 2014.
Abrahams said questions had been asked about his silence, despite allegations of state capture.
“There have been media reports where even members of Parliament have asked ‘where is Shaun Abrahams’,” he said.
He said he had not been silent but there was work going on to investigate state capture.
He told the justice committee there were several investigations into allegations against the Guptas. The NPA was also looking into the issue of leaked emails. But the question was whether such evidence could be admissible in court.
He said there had been a team of prosecutors that was set up to investigate state capture and it had been working behind the scenes collecting evidence.
He said he would report more on this when he tabled the NPA’s financials, in Parliament in October.
“The NPA is unable to make any pronouncements until the investigations are concluded,” said Abrahams.
“I can assure the committee the investigations are being done on these matters.
“I cannot comment whether people will be charged or not, that is part of the investigations. It is not in the public interest to announce these and what we are doing,” he said.