SSA lays charges against Pauw
Controversial book bone of contention
Criminal charges have been opened against author Jacques Pauw, Gauteng police spokesman Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said.
TimesLive understands the charges were laid at Lyttleton police station in Pretoria against the author of a controversial book, The President’s Keepers, yesterday.
Sources said the charges were laid by the State Security Agency (SSA).
“The SSA were at the police station yesterday [Wednesday]. They were asking a lot of questions and there were discussions about this matter‚” said a source.
Pauw said via WhatsApp he was not aware of the charges.
Dlamini said he was not sure what docket had been opened or what the charges related to, and asked that he be contacted later.
Pauw’s book‚ which was released a week ago and later leaked on social media‚ has been at the centre of a row with the SSA and the SA Revenue Service (SARS).
It contains damning allegations about President Jacob Zuma and key state agencies and its contents‚ according to the SSA‚ contravene the Intelligence Services Act.
The SSA had previously notified Pauw and NB Publishers that it intended to pursue legal action against him as it pushed for him to retract certain parts of the book and to have it taken out of circulation.
But Pauw and his publishers refused to bow to pressure‚ with his lawyers saying they were willing to battle the matter out in court.
The book‚ meanwhile‚ has sold out, with publishers rushing to print more copies to meet demand. It is a global best-seller on Amazon and the fastest-selling book since official Nielsen data-gathering began in 2004‚ the publishers said. It was not clear whether the SARS would join the spy agency in its bid to muzzle Pauw.