Johannesburg - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has been issued with a formal summons in relation to the South African Revenue Services “rogue unit”, National Proscuting Authority Shaun Abrahams has said.
The NPA is currently holding a press briefing in Pretoria on the investigation pursued by the Hawks against Gordhan and former employees of Sars in connection with the establishment of the “rogue unit”.
When Abrahams made his first announcement the rand fell as much as 3 percent.
The currency then extended its falls, trading at 14.2950 against the dollar at 0833 GMT, a 3.5 percent decline.
Gordhan, who is highly respected by financial markets, has painted the allegations about his role in establishing the special tax unit as "political mischief" but confirmed that prosecution officials delivered a summons to his house on Tuesday morning.
He was not at home at the time, he told reporters, adding that his lawyers would be issuing a statement shortly.
Abrahams denied any mischief in the handling of the case, saying the surveillance unit was set up in a "very strange manner" and had not been cleared by the national intelligence services.
Reuters