State Capture commission postponement

FORMER public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan’s testimony at the state capture commission was postponed until November 12 due to lack of time for those implicated by her to respond.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s testimony was also postponed to November 15 because the inquiry is yet to receive his submission.

Hogan arrived at the inquiry ready to give evidence in the inquiry into the state capture debacle. In her application for the postponement, member of the commission’s legal team, Advocate Thandi Norman, said Hogan’s “broadened” statement was only received on Monday.

“The reasons the legal team thought it was prudent to postpone her hearing are that her statement was received on Monday, and in terms of the rules, that statement must be given to the implicated persons,” she said.

Hogan had submitted an original statement in August, which Norman said lacked enough details and needed to be broadened.

Norman added that Gordhan’s statement before the commission was only a draft “which cannot be acted upon according to the rules”. His final statement is expect to be filed at the inquiry on Thursday.

“We submit our application for postponement based on those reasons, and also, ensure that the public respects the way the commission operates and that we, as the legal team, do not undermine the rules under which the commission operates,” Norman concluded.

The commission was adjourned to November 12 when Hogan will give her testimony. |