Malema ‘indicts’ Gordhan
But Minister rejects ‘criminal charges’ in ‘indictment’ EFF leader submitted to police
EFF LEADER Julius Malema has intensified his battle against Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan after he asked police to reopen allegations that the minister had operated a “rogue unit” while at the helm of Sars.
Malema opened criminal charges against Gordhan despite similar charges against him not having been pursued by the National Prosecuting Authority due to lack of evidence.
“He was responsible for the rogue unit. We provided the police with the Sikhakhane Panel report, which was never disputed,” Malema said.
He said he opened charges at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria because “it was here at Lehae La Sars” where Gordhan allegedly established a rogue unit to spy on taxpayers, politicians from the ruling party and other political parties, business persons and other citizens.
While Malema believed that Gordhan was guilty of all offences, the recently established Nugent commission led by retired Judge Robert Nugent was presented with legal opinions, one of them by advocate Wim Trengove, which dismissed the existence of a rogue unit at Sars.
Malema made the claims in an “indictment” he crafted and handed to the police yesterday as “proof” of criminal charges against Gordhan.
Malema and senior members of his party arrived at the Brooklyn police station with a copy of the “indictment”, which instructs Gordhan and his daughter to appear in the High Court in Pretoria.
Malema also had an arch-lever file. In the “indictment”, Malema is listed as the main complainant, while Gordhan is accused number 1 and his daughter Anisha accused 2.
In the document, the EFF leader “has charged” Gordhan with five counts, ranging from contraventions of the Intelligence Act and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act to racketeering and/or money laundering, and fraud and perjury.
Yesterday, Gordhan, through his spokesperson Adrian Lackay, rejected the charges against him.
In his statement, Gordhan said the EFF’s so-called “charge sheet” was baseless, containing a set of lies, fake news and fabrications.
“It is simply their latest attack on the continuing efforts to combat corruption and theft in state-owned companies and other institutions,” Lackay said.
He said the content of the “charge sheet” or indictment was “false, defamatory and malicious, and has been disseminated publicly with the objective of causing injury to the reputations and integrity of Minister Gordhan and his family”.
Lackay said Gordhan and his family reserved their right to pursue any civil action for damages arising out to these “malevolent and defamatory allegations”.
Gordhan also reiterated that a legal opinion by advocate Wim Trengove commissioned by former Sars commissioner Tom Moyane in 2015 did not find any proof of the existence of a rogue unit at Sars.
“Minister Gordhan has no bank account outside South Africa – any such allegation is completely false,” Lackay said.
Gordhan’s family have also denied charges against his daughter.
“The disinformation campaign by Messrs Malema, Shivambu and the EFF, the public attacks on Minister Gordhan, his family, the threats and attacks on journalists, the Zondo commission of inquiry and anyone fighting corruption are signs of a dangerous descent towards populism, political intolerance, racism and an assault on our democracy,” Lackay said.
The public comments by Malema have outraged civil society groups, which include Corruption Watch and the Helen Suzman Foundation, among others.