Cape Town - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan says facts have been conflated with allegations in reports that billions of dollars belonging to slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have been hidden in South Africa.
None of the allegations of Libyan funds and assets having been brought to South Africa under dubious circumstances had been supported by evidence, he said on Thursday.
“Those who have evidence should hand it over to the relevant Libyan or United Nations authorities.”
He said he had been approached in May by a group claiming to represent the Libyan government.
They had presented a list of what they claimed was proof of the transfer of Libyan government funds and assets to South Africa.
But Gordhan said the list was “vague in providing any details that would enable the relevant institutions to trace the whereabouts of these assets”.
Subsequently, he had met a Libyan government delegation led by Usama al Abid, the minister in the office of the Libyan prime minister.
They had agreed that should any funds and assets be found, South Africa would inform al Abid and the relevant UN authorities through the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.
The Libyan authorities would determine the future of these assets and funds.
Gordhan said, however, there were known commercial Libyan shareholdings in South African entities.
These included the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, the Centurion Lake Hotel, the Commodore and Portswood Hotels in Cape Town, and the Kruger Park Lodge in Mpumalanga.
He said South Africa would continue to engage with the legitimate Libyan authorities on the matter “to trace and verify any funds and assets” that might have found their way to South Africa.
Political Bureau