Johannesburg - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and four other former Sars officials have been instructed to present themselves to the Hawks' head office at 10am on Thursday “without fail” in connection with alleged contravention of the Interception of Communications and Provision of Communications-Related Information Act of 2002.
The Daily News's sister paper, The Star has seen the contents of the letters they received, which state that the alleged Sars “rogue unit” facilitated installation of bugging equipment in the Silverton, Tshwane, offices of the former Directorate for Special Operations (Scorpions)/National Prosecuting Authority and made transcripts of conversations there.
The five are instructed to meet investigating officer Brigadier Nyameka Xaba for the taking of a warning statement – usually the last step before the formulation of criminal charges.
Finance Ministry spokeswoman Phumza Macanda confirmed the correspondence to The Star on Tuesday night, but did not comment on its contents.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi did not wish to confirm the correspondence with Gordhan, former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay, former group executive: strategy and risk Pete Richer, former group executive: enforcement investigation Johan van Loggerenberg and former head of the unit Andries Janse van Rensburg, saying “We don’t comment on matters that are under investigation”.
Gordhan was Sars commissioner when the unit was established.
It is understood that Van Rensburg reported to the Hawks on Monday.
Former Sars spokesman Adrian Lackay denied reports he was among those warned to report to the Hawks, saying he had received no indication he was a suspect.
He said he knew, however, that Sars commissioner Tom Moyane was the complainant.
The rand, which had strengthened to a high for the year of R13.21 to the dollar last week, immediately went into retreat, reaching R13.90 within hours of the first reports of the Hawks letter in the Daily Maverick.
Gordhan, Pillay and Van Loggerenberg have consistently denied knowledge of any unlawful activities. It is understood Gordhan was consulting his lawyers and would not report to the Hawks offices in person.
The latest move by the Hawks comes after an unofficial “truce” in which Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza had given Gordhan the assurance he would not be “embarrassed” by an arrest without first being notified.
The Hawks denied at the time that Gordhan was being probed.
This followed a sharp drop in the value of the rand in May, after reports of Gordhan’s imminent arrest, compounding losses by the currency after the removal of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister in December.
President Jacob Zuma had also, before the elections, denied suggestions that Gordhan’s job was under threat and, most recently, the Presidency denied reports of a rift between the president and the National Treasury over SAA.
Zuma has now taken a direct interest in the management of state-owned companies, including SAA, which had been placed under the Treasury, following a cabinet lekgotla at the weekend.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe announced on Monday that a presidential co-ordinating council would be established to give Zuma “line of sight on strategic decisions and interventions” in state-owned companies.