The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has given the police and National Prosecuting Authority 10 days to act after it laid charges of corruption and money laundering against Trillian directors‚ the Gupta brothers and Duduzane Zuma on Wednesday.
Saftu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said that if the police did not come back to him in 10 days‚ he would be going to court to ask for an order to compel the Hawks and the National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams to act.
At a media briefing at Saftu’s offices in Johannesburg on Thursday‚ Vavi said that due to a lack of significant action from the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks)‚ the federation decided to act.
“We want to see what they are going to do. We will be watching them [the police] very carefully. Investigations should be under way. We have given them ten days‚ no more. They have been sitting with these files from Outa and others for months now‚” Vavi said‚ referring to similar charges that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse also laid against the same individuals.
“If they don’t come back to us in 10 days‚ we will see them in court.”
The charges relate to money laundering‚ theft‚ fraud and corruption relating to work Trillian did for state-owned entities‚ Eskom and Transnet‚ Vavi said.
“The modus operandi of the NPA and the police is to acknowledge that they are investigating‚ but then nothing ever comes out of those investigations.
“And we want to warn them‚ this is going to be a very different ball game altogether. We will not allow them to push this mountain of evidence under the carpet.
“The evidence in the public domain establishes clear and compelling evidence of criminal wrongdoing on the part of Trillian and its directors in its dealings with Eskom and Transnet‚” Vavi said.
He said that much of the evidence against Trillian and its subsidiaries was available in the public domain including through the media’s reportage of leaked Gupta emails‚ through other NGOs and former Trillian CEO Bianca Goodson’s sworn statement which was made public last week.
Vavi also dubbed as “dubious and highly suspicious” the circumstances surrounding President Jacob Zuma’s firing of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December 2015 and has included revelations that Goodson had been informed by another Trillian employee of Zuma’s intention to axe Nene weeks before it actually happened.
Trillian was until July 60% owned by close Gupta family business associate Salim Essa.
In June‚ Advocate Geoff Budlender presented a report that was commissioned by former Trillian chairman Tokyo Sexwale‚ who also stepped down on the same day.
Budlender’s report revealed that Eskom had lied to the public on numerous occasions about R495-million paid to Trillian without a contract being in place.
Vavi confirmed that Saftu had already began to consult with “the best and brightest” legal minds in preparation for court proceedings.
Hawks‚ NPA given 10 days to act on state capture charges - Vavi
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has given the police and National Prosecuting Authority 10 days to act after it laid charges of corruption and money laundering against Trillian directors‚ the Gupta brothers and Duduzane Zuma on Wednesday.
Saftu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said that if the police did not come back to him in 10 days‚ he would be going to court to ask for an order to compel the Hawks and the National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams to act.
At a media briefing at Saftu’s offices in Johannesburg on Thursday‚ Vavi said that due to a lack of significant action from the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks)‚ the federation decided to act.
“We want to see what they are going to do. We will be watching them [the police] very carefully. Investigations should be under way. We have given them ten days‚ no more. They have been sitting with these files from Outa and others for months now‚” Vavi said‚ referring to similar charges that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse also laid against the same individuals.
“If they don’t come back to us in 10 days‚ we will see them in court.”
The charges relate to money laundering‚ theft‚ fraud and corruption relating to work Trillian did for state-owned entities‚ Eskom and Transnet‚ Vavi said.
“The modus operandi of the NPA and the police is to acknowledge that they are investigating‚ but then nothing ever comes out of those investigations.
“And we want to warn them‚ this is going to be a very different ball game altogether. We will not allow them to push this mountain of evidence under the carpet.
“The evidence in the public domain establishes clear and compelling evidence of criminal wrongdoing on the part of Trillian and its directors in its dealings with Eskom and Transnet‚” Vavi said.
He said that much of the evidence against Trillian and its subsidiaries was available in the public domain including through the media’s reportage of leaked Gupta emails‚ through other NGOs and former Trillian CEO Bianca Goodson’s sworn statement which was made public last week.
Vavi also dubbed as “dubious and highly suspicious” the circumstances surrounding President Jacob Zuma’s firing of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December 2015 and has included revelations that Goodson had been informed by another Trillian employee of Zuma’s intention to axe Nene weeks before it actually happened.
Trillian was until July 60% owned by close Gupta family business associate Salim Essa.
In June‚ Advocate Geoff Budlender presented a report that was commissioned by former Trillian chairman Tokyo Sexwale‚ who also stepped down on the same day.
Budlender’s report revealed that Eskom had lied to the public on numerous occasions about R495-million paid to Trillian without a contract being in place.
Vavi confirmed that Saftu had already began to consult with “the best and brightest” legal minds in preparation for court proceedings.
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