The South African Revenue Service has referred any enquiries regarding reports that a senior SARS official was held hostage in a boardroom for several hours by the Hawks to the law enforcement agency itself.
A video clip and media reports on Thursday indicted that SARS deputy director of law Vlok Symington was locked in a boardroom in the SARS head office while the Hawks‚ and SARS boss Tom Moyane’s bodyguards attempted to get him to make an affidavit in the fraud case against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
SARS said on Thursday evening it had noted the media reports and circulated video material.
“To the extent that the matter relates to members of the Hawks the enquiries must be directed to the relevant law enforcement agency‚” it said in a brief statement.
“Where SARS employees are concerned a full investigation will be conducted and a public statement issued‚” it added.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed earlier that Symington had opened a case of kidnapping with it.
“I can confirm that we’ve opened a case of kidnapping. It was registered late yesterday [Wednesday]. It has been assigned to an investigator‚” said Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini.
“It’s still the beginning of the investigation. It’s difficult to say more.”
Dlamini said Ipid was in possession of the video footage and other evidence.
Symington was the author of the 2009 legal opinion which the Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law used to file an application to the Pretoria High Court requesting that the fraud charges against Gordhan be set aside. In that opinion‚ he states that there was “no technicality” stopping SARS from reappointing former deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay on a contract basis after an early retirement payout.
SARS refers inquiries about ‘hostage drama’ to Hawks
The South African Revenue Service has referred any enquiries regarding reports that a senior SARS official was held hostage in a boardroom for several hours by the Hawks to the law enforcement agency itself.
A video clip and media reports on Thursday indicted that SARS deputy director of law Vlok Symington was locked in a boardroom in the SARS head office while the Hawks‚ and SARS boss Tom Moyane’s bodyguards attempted to get him to make an affidavit in the fraud case against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
SARS said on Thursday evening it had noted the media reports and circulated video material.
“To the extent that the matter relates to members of the Hawks the enquiries must be directed to the relevant law enforcement agency‚” it said in a brief statement.
“Where SARS employees are concerned a full investigation will be conducted and a public statement issued‚” it added.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed earlier that Symington had opened a case of kidnapping with it.
“I can confirm that we’ve opened a case of kidnapping. It was registered late yesterday [Wednesday]. It has been assigned to an investigator‚” said Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini.
“It’s still the beginning of the investigation. It’s difficult to say more.”
Dlamini said Ipid was in possession of the video footage and other evidence.
Symington was the author of the 2009 legal opinion which the Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law used to file an application to the Pretoria High Court requesting that the fraud charges against Gordhan be set aside. In that opinion‚ he states that there was “no technicality” stopping SARS from reappointing former deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay on a contract basis after an early retirement payout.
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