President Jacob Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, may face a probe by the public protector into allegations that he received secret payments from French weapons manufacturer Thales, while opposition parties have called on the president to suspend him.
The DA said it would ask Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to investigate claims published in the Sunday Times that secret payments amounting to 1.2-million French francs were paid into offshore bank accounts in the name of Maharaj’s wife, Zarina.
The newspaper said it had evidence that the payments were channelled through Minderley Investments, a company owned by Zuma’s then financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, eight weeks before a R256 million contract for credit card sized driving licences was awarded to the Prodiba consortium, in which Thales had a 33.3 percent stake.
The payments were allegedly made in 1997, 1998 and 1999, when Maharaj was minister of transport. The Sunday Times said it was in possession of a secret “consultant” agreement that revealed Shaik would be paid a fee of 12-million French francs to negotiate the driving licence contract.
The deal was dated July 5, 1996 – two months before Maharaj’s department awarded the contract.
Maharaj did not respond to repeated calls. Asked by Justice Malala, on the Justice Factor on eNews on Sunday, whether he had received a bribe or was aware of his wife’s offshore bank account, a visibly angry Maharaj said he was “not prepared to answer questions – even if your name is Justice”.
Maharaj had earlier written to the Sunday Times that the now-disbanded Scorpions had investigated him and his wife, but had not pursued any prosecution.
“That the Scorpions did not bring any charges against either of us (means) the reported insinuations and allegations of unlawful conduct by us may once again result in and subject us to character assassination and trial by media making use of selective information only.”
The Sunday Times said it believed the 2007 probe into Maharaj was torpedoed because the Scorpions were unable to obtain the “consultancy” agreement.
DA transport spokesman Stuart Farrow said he would ask the public protector to investigate the allegations and called on Zuma to suspend Maharaj without delay.
With the allegations hanging over his head, Maharaj could not continue as Zuma’s spokesman as it would “cast a cloud over the Presidency and the president himself”.
ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said Zuma “must act swiftly” by investigating the “serious” claims.
“If he fails, then he’ll be seen as someone who jokes about fighting corruption. These allegations point to a person in his office. And the image of the president must be beyond reproach,” said Meshoe.
On Friday, the Mail & Guardian published a redacted article in the face of threats from Maharaj’s lawyers. Maharaj has since asked the police to investigate “possible theft” charges against the paper and its two investigative journalists.
The SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said on Sunday it was “deeply concerned at the threat that the (Mail & Guardian) and staff may be prosecuted for trying to report truthfully about affairs. Sanef is concerned that the testimony by Maharaj, who as President Zuma’s spokesman is at the heart of government, should be kept secret…”
Hennie van Vuuren, of the Institute for Security Studies, said it was
“concerning that very top levels of government are becoming increasingly paranoid around access to information which may shine a light on corrupt activities…” - Political Bureau