EFF leader Julius Malema wants former auditor general Terence Nombembe removed as lead investigator for the commission of inquiry into state capture because he is allegedly conflicted.

Addressing the media on Thursday‚ Malema said Nombembe‚ in his capacity as the CEO of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants‚ received a R1.2-million donation from Trillian‚ a Gupta-linked company implicated in state capture.

Malema said when the EFF became aware of the donation‚ they wrote to Nombembe asking him to explain the donation but he had failed to do so.

“When sent an email by the EFF questioning ‘why did you take money from a criminal syndicate when you are aware that these people are involved in criminal activities in South Africa?’ he doesn’t respond to the allegations. He sent an email to say ‘guys can we call each other?’” said Malema.

He said his party saw Nombembe’s actions as an attempt to try and talk down the EFF from raising the matter.

“Why is [he not] communicating what he wants to communicate on the phone through written response? The only thing you cannot write is corruption. The only thing you will not write is when you want to engage in illegal activities‚” said Malema.

He claimed Nombembe was attempting to bribe the EFF leadership out of raising the issue.

Malema said to date‚ Nombembe had not answered the allegations they raised in their email.

“We wrote a letter to SAICA about Transnet and the role that auditing firms have played in promotion of corruption in South Africa‚ particularly in Transnet‚ and Prasa and all of that. Till today‚ there has never been an investigation by SAICA.

“SAICA is captured‚ the CEO of SAICA is captured yet he is going to investigate the state capture‚” Malema charged.

He said deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo should have known about the matter and that the EFF would write to him asking for Nombembe to be removed from his role.

“We in the EFF have got the intention to call Nombembe to the commission. Nombembe must go to answer to the commission. How is Nombembe going to answer to the commission when he is the investigator himself?” said Malema.