Journalists decline to answer cop questions
JOURNALISTS Jacques Pauw and PieterLouis Myburgh will not be presenting themselves to the Durban North police station to make statements relating to material published in Pauw’s best-seller, The President’s Keepers, or Myburgh’s news reports published on News24.
This is confirmed in a letter their attorney‚ Willem de Klerk‚ addressed to a police colonel‚ who is identified as the investigating officer.
“From the telephone discussions, it appears Mr Pauw is regarded as a potential suspect, related to material contained in his book,” he wrote.
“It further appears that Mr Pieter-Louis Myburgh is a potential suspect, based on an article or articles he may have authored which appeared in the news media.
“We record that‚ save for the above‚ you were not willing to disclose further details regarding the matters under investigation.
“We confirm your request that both Mr Pauw and Mr Myburgh present themselves at the Durban North police station to answer questions and/or make statements to the matters under investigation.
“Our clients are not, at this stage, willing to answer questions or make statements, but will prefer for the investigation to be completed first.”
De Klerk said further that Pauw and Myburgh would be willing to depose affidavits to that effect and would give their full cooperation to the National Prosecuting Authority, should it decide to prosecute either of them.
“Our clients’ decision not to make statements is based on their constitutional rights and on legal advice,” he wrote.
“It does not imply that they are uncooperative in the matter.” Myburgh said yesterday the authorities were targeting him for what he had written relating to the Gupta family‚ corruption at Prasa and other exposés‚ but showed little interest in investigating the actual content of those reports he had written.
“There is no indication that the authorities are showing similar interest in what we have exposed‚” Myburg said.
“I suspect it is related to the contents of Pauw’s book – and what I have written previously.”
Myburgh also authored the book, The Republic of Gupta‚ which details allegations of the grip the controversial Gupta family have on the government and President Jacob Zuma.
Pauw was not immediately available for comment‚ but the publishers of his book reiterated that it stood by him and his work.
“We are communicating with the authorities, through our attorney, trying to find out more about the nature of the complaint‚” NB Publishers said.
“We are willing to cooperate, but stand by our author and our book.
“We are quite concerned about the lack of transparency from the authorities on this matter.”
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said it viewed the actions as intimidation tactics.
“Our message as Sanef is very clear. We are not going to stay silent – journalism is not a crime‚” News24 quoted Sanef deputy chairwoman Katy Katopodis as saying.
Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo‚ who was not available for comment, told News24 earlier yesterday that Pauw and Myburgh were not under investigation – and that no case had been opened.