South
African President, Jacob Zuma, said on Thursday that an investigation
into a major government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s had found
no evidence of corruption or fraud.
Critics denounced the findings as a cover up and said they would continue to campaign for justice, including a possible legal challenge in the United States under U.S. anti-graft laws.
The 30 billion rand ($2 billion) deal to buy European military equipment has cast a shadow over politics in Africa’s most industrialised economy for years.
Zuma – then deputy president – was linked to the deal through his former financial adviser, who was jailed for corruption. This almost torpedoed Zuma’s bid for president but all charges against him were dropped in 2009.
“No evidence was found as well through the Commission’s own independent inquiries,” Reuters quoted Zuma as saying in a televised address on Thursday.
Zuma said the three-volume report on the investigation, which heard evidence from senior politicians including Thabo Mbeki, the former president, and ex-cabinet ministers, would be made public.
Former banker and anti-arms campaigner Terry Crawford-Browne, who sued the government, leading to the establishment of the commission of inquiry into the arms deal, said he would challenge the investigation’s findings.
Critics denounced the findings as a cover up and said they would continue to campaign for justice, including a possible legal challenge in the United States under U.S. anti-graft laws.
The 30 billion rand ($2 billion) deal to buy European military equipment has cast a shadow over politics in Africa’s most industrialised economy for years.
Zuma – then deputy president – was linked to the deal through his former financial adviser, who was jailed for corruption. This almost torpedoed Zuma’s bid for president but all charges against him were dropped in 2009.
“No evidence was found as well through the Commission’s own independent inquiries,” Reuters quoted Zuma as saying in a televised address on Thursday.
Zuma said the three-volume report on the investigation, which heard evidence from senior politicians including Thabo Mbeki, the former president, and ex-cabinet ministers, would be made public.
Former banker and anti-arms campaigner Terry Crawford-Browne, who sued the government, leading to the establishment of the commission of inquiry into the arms deal, said he would challenge the investigation’s findings.
No comments:
Post a Comment