Mayor De Lille takes on Faul for defamation

Outgoing Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille intends to sue businessman Anthony Faul for R1 million for defamation, De Lille said yesterday.

De Lille said she had been formally notified this week by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) that the senior public prosecutor had considered the evidence regarding the case of bribery made against her in relation to “bogus allegations by a Mr Anthony Faul”, and that the decision was made not to institute a prosecution against her. The charge was accordingly withdrawn.

In early February, the DA’s federal executive chair James Selfe confirmed that the party had approached police with an affidavit they had received from Faul.

“I rejected these ludicrous allegations from the onset when they appeared out of thin air in February this year,” said De Lille.

“This was at the height of the time when the DA was trying everything to remove me at all costs by throwing all sorts of allegations at me hoping that something would stick.

“To date, I have not been found guilty of anything that I have been accused of. I have always said that the truth will survive and that I am not afraid to subject myself to any due process to properly test the allegations against me, open to the public and the media.”

The bribery allegation dated back to events more than five years ago related to Faul’s negotiations with the City of Cape Town safety and security disaster risk management department for fire retardant paint for informal settlements.

“At the time when these allegations surfaced, I stated that this was part of the grand plot to remove me. Regardless of this, I committed to co-operating openly and transparently with the SAPS [SA Police Service], which is what I have been doing for months. The staff in my office also co-operated with the Hawks fully when they were approached for interviews and statements.

“I am relieved that justice has prevailed and that I have once again been vindicated. It is proof of the vicious witchhunt which unfolded over the past year to get rid of me,” she said.

“The allegations made by Faul are patently false and were a vicious attack on my good name and reputation. As such, they were defamatory in the extreme and I have instructed my lawyers to pursue a defamation case against him for R1 million.” – ANA

I rejected these ludicrous allegations from the onset when they appeared out of thin air.

Patricia de Lille Mayor of Cape Town