‘Gaddafi cash claims should be probed’

POLITICAL parties have called on the country’s law enforcement agencies to investigate claims that millions of dollars that allegedly belonged to late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been secretly kept at former president Jacob Zuma’s residence.

One party even called on international bodies to conduct the investigation instead of the ANC-led government.

This is after a Sunday newspaper reported yesterday that President Cyril Ramaphosa was asked to recover an estimated R422 million that was allegedly kept at a bunker in Zuma’s residence at Nkandla before being secretly moved to Eswatini.

The newspaper also reported that Ramaphosa met King Mswati at OR Tambo International Airport last Thursday where the king confirmed the existence of the money.

DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said they noted the media reports indicating that there was evidence suggesting that Zuma had hidden millions of missing dollars belonging to Gaddafi.

Malatsi said the DA was calling on Ramaphosa to take the nation into his confidence and come clean about his involvement in the case of the missing millions.

“In addition, the president needs to aid in recovering these millions and to ensure that the National Prosecuting Authority holds Zuma accountable for his actions,” he said.

“It is completely unacceptable that Zuma remains free after aiding the late North African dictator and the NPA must act swiftly on these reports to ascertain their accuracy,” Malatsi added.

Congress of the People spokesperson Dennis Bloem said the matter should not be taken for granted.

“If any criminality was committed by anybody in the country, the Hawks must intervene and investigate this case of theft.

“It is very serious… the whole issue of the money. Law enforcement must intervene and investigate,” Bloem said.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said Zuma needed to confirm if he had kept the money as media reports alleged.

“I don’t think you can trust the ANC and Zuma on this. The best advice I have is for the international community to be involved to establish how much was this money.”

Holomisa also said he could not trust the ANC-led government to investigate the Gaddafi money.

“They have known about this for years… they are fighting now and all of a sudden there was money kept by Zuma,” he said.

When asked to comment on the story, ANC acting spokesperson Dakota Legoete sent video footage in which International Relations and Co-operation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu was responding to questions asked at a media briefing on the ANC NEC subcommittee on international relations and cooperation.

Sisulu described the article as a

“ghost story”.

Sisulu said the story that the Libyans had brought money into the country and it was kept somewhere had been circulating for many years.

“When we went to Swaziland there were rumours that the money was in Swaziland. There is no money in Swaziland,” she said. “There is no money we are aware of, and I speak honestly as the Minister of International Relations. I have not found any money that belongs to the Libyans.”

“If the Libyans make a request of us to investigate this matter, we will be open to do so,” she added.