Pravin ‘must submit to Hawks’

Politician Mbhazima Shilowa has tabled a seven-point argument on why Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan should present himself to the Hawks – an argument at odds with the view of retired Constitutional Court justice Johann Kriegler.

This after the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, this week summoned the minister to answer outstanding questions about a socalled rogue unit at the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

Upon receiving legal advice, Gordhan refused to make himself available, saying, “I am advised that I am under no legal obligation to present myself to the Hawks as directed in their letter.”

Shilowa, who co-founded the Congress of the People (Cope), took to Twitter to say that the notion that the case against the minister was a “conspiracy” doesn’t mean he should not avail himself to the unit.

“A hands-off PG [Pravin Gordhan] is no different to the hands-off JZ [Jacob Zuma] campaign. Let us be vigilant including standing up, but let’s not set another precedent,” said Shilowa, who also argued “the courts have on a number of occasions ruled that the presence of a conspiracy does not nullify any charges”.

Although the Hawks have not yet laid charges, Shilowa says Gordhan must submit to the Hawks regardless of whether he has a case to answer or not. His views go against those of numerous legal experts, who feel that if Gordhan were to present himself for questioning, he would be giving credence to a process that is not taking place according to any actual known laws.

Shilowa, however, wrote that “when the Scorpions wanted JZ to answer to the corruption charges, he said it was a conspiracy. To date he has not answered to them.”

The Scorpions were disbanded in 2009.