Pretoria - The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) believes it has a prima facie case against ANC MP Yolanda Botha relating to her “allegedly corrupt” relationship with the company Trifecta Investment Holdings, according to the DA.
Parliament’s ethics watchdog, the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests, earlier this year found Botha, who is also the Northern Cape ANC’s provincial treasurer, guilty of failing to declare benefits she had received from developer Trifecta.
DA public works spokeswoman Anchen Dreyer said the SIU handed over the case docket to the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) for further action and “possible criminal prosecution. This was confirmed to me by the investigating officer”.
“The SIU believes it has a prima facie case against Botha relating to the improper or generally corrupt relationship between [her] and Trifecta Investment Holdings.”
Approached for comment on Sunday, SIU spokesman Boy Ndala said he could neither confirm nor deny that the matter had been handed over to the NPA.
Dreyer said that in August last year, the ethics committee had unanimously recommended the strongest possible sanction against Botha after she failed to declare all her business interests and “wilfully misled Parliament concerning kickbacks she received from a business.
Three months later, the ANC-dominated ethics committee adopted a watered-down version of the report and allowed her to get away with a small fine and a reprimand,” Dreyer said.
“However, the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act places on people of authority, including Members of Parliament, an obligation to report suspected corrupt or fraudulent activities.
“Therefore, [in November last year] I proceeded to lay charges against Botha at the Cape Town Central police station,” she said.
Botha could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Pretoria News