Gordhan confirms receipt of letter from Hawks

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. File picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. File picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

Published Aug 23, 2016

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Cape Town - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has confirmed receipt of a letter from the Hawks on Monday requesting him to present himself at their offices on Thursday in connection with the alleged “rogue” unit at SARS.

Finance Ministry spokeswoman Phumza Macanda confirmed the correspondence to Independent Media on Tuesday night.

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 Resnburg, saying “we don’t comment on matters that are under investigation”.

But Independent Media has seen the contents of the letters sent to the five, which requests them to report to the Hawks offices for the taking of a warning statement in relation to contravention of the Interception of Communications and Provision of Communications-Related Information Act of 2002.

A warning statement is usually the last step before criminal charges are instituted.

It is understood Van Rensburg reported to the Hawks on Monday already.

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.

Political Bureau

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