Seriti doing damage control – DA

GAYE DAVIS

Political Bureau

ARMS procurement commission chairman Judge Willie Seriti’s response to claims by one of the inquiry’s investigators of a “secret agenda” aimed at manipulating the probe has failed to satisfy the DA.

The judge’s response was “a failed attempt at damage control” and “likely to erode rather than restore public trust in the commission,” the party’s spokesman on defence, David Maynier, said yesterday.

Pretoria attorney Norman Moabi alleged in his leaked resignation letter that the commission was pursuing a “second agenda, presumably to cover up the truth by attempting to discredit certain witnesses”.

Judge Seriti denied any hidden agenda and said Moabi’s allegations were an attempt to “tarnish the credibility of the commission”, based on an unspecified personal grudge and professional jealousy.

But Maynier said

if there was “a secret agenda, it would hardly be laid bare in an official commission strategy document”.

Moabi has yet to respond publicly to Judge Seriti’s statement.