NPA confirms it’s looking at charges

THE National Prosecuting Authority has given its strongest indication yet that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan could be charged for the Sars rogue unit.

This followed intense speculation in the past few days after Gordhan failed to show up at the Hawks offices last Thursday to be issued a warning statement.

NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku confirmed yesterday that Gordhan, along with two former senior officials at SARS, face charges.

However, he did not indicate when Gordhan was going to be formally charged or appear in a court.

“We confirm receipt of the docket relating to the Sars rogue unit matter on Friday,” said Mfaku.

“Prosecutors are going to analyse and evaluate the evidence contained in the docket. If there is no outstanding investigation, a decision on whether or not to prosecute any person will be made,” he said without mentioning Gordhan by name.

The confirmation by the NPA came after Gordhan addressed National Treasury staff members on Friday, and allegedly said that the Guptas were behind his troubles with the Hawks.

He said he was fighting a battle to save the country’s purse from the thieves.

But the Guptas have denied any involvement in the prosecution of Gordhan by the Hawks, saying they are businesspeople and not involved in politics.

Gordhan has received backing from Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said the minister was a man with unquestionable integrity.

The SACP yesterday came out in defence of Gordhan. This followed the attack on him by his cabinet colleague, Des van Rooyen, who called on him to subject himself to the law.

Van Rooyen, who briefly succeeded Nhlanhla Nene at the Treasury last December before the markets imploded, said Gordhan was not above the law.

The charges were a pretext to remove Gordhan from office and weaken the Treasury’s struggle against corruption and corporate capture,SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande told a media briefing in Johannesburg at the weekend.