Pretoria – The National Director of Public Prosecutions on Monday gave Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan a day to make submissions relating to the fraud charges he faces after hearing argument from former South African Revenue Service commissioner Oupa Magashula and Deputy Commissioner Ivan Pillay.
“Subsequent to the representation of Messrs Magashula and Pillay and in giving effect to the provisions of section 179(5) of the Constitution and section 22(2)(c) of the NPA Act, the National Director has invited Minister Pravin Gordhan through his lawyers, as well as General [Berning] Ntlemeza, the Head of the Hawks and Mr Tom Moyane, Commissioner of SARS, to make representations before 17h00 on 18 October 2016 in this regard,” the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Gordhan last week issued a blunt statement rejecting Abrahams’s invitation to him to make representations to have the fraud charges against him reviewed.
He said he did not trust the prosecutions chief to give him a fair hearing.
“The main reason for his decision is that he does not have any confidence in the NDPP’s ability or willingness to afford him a fair hearing,” his lawyers said.
The NPA said Abrahams would consider the submissions made by Pillay and Magashula.
“The National Director will consider all these representations after which he will pronounce his decision in respect of the matter.”
Gordhan on Friday fired back an explosive salvo in what is widely seen as a battle within government for control on the public purse.
He filed a court application for a declaratory order stating that he is not obliged or empowered to intervene in the decision of four major banks months ago to close the accounts of the wealthy and politically connected Gupta family.
African News Agency