'The truth does come out eventually' says Schabir Shaik

Jacob Zuma’s former adviser, Schabir Shaik Picture: STEVE LAWRENCE, INLSA

Jacob Zuma’s former adviser, Schabir Shaik Picture: STEVE LAWRENCE, INLSA

Published Aug 21, 2019

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The name of writer and former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein was erroneously included in the list of people implicated in the arms deal and has since been removed. The Mercury regrets the error.

Durban - Former presidential adviser and convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik, has said the decision to have the Seriti Commission set aside was “interesting”.

Speaking to The Mercury following Judge President Dunstan Mlambo’s ruling, Shaik said the truth does eventually come out. 

“The truth takes a long time to come out but it does come out eventually,” he said. 

Shaik, along with his brother Chippy Shaik, former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki, Fana Hlongwane and Tony Yengeni were implicated in the Arms Deal. Yengeni has since been convicted of defrauding Parliament after it emerged that he had benefited personally from securing bribes in the deal. 

Shaik was sentenced to more than 15 years imprisonment in 2005 on two counts of corruption and fraud. Shaik was released on medical parole in March 2009 after serving just two years and four months of his sentence. 

On Wednesday,  Mlambo ruled that the matter be set aside. 

Mlambo said the manner in which the commission approached the witnesses was represented as a “complete failure”.

The matter was brought before the court by Corruption Watch and the Right2Know Campaign. 

The commission was established in 2011 by former president Jacob Zuma to investigate allegations of fraud, corruption, impropriety or irregularity in the Strategic Defence Procurement Package.

R2K’s Caroline James said they will not be seeking a re-opening of an inquiry into the Arms Deal. 

“We will, however, use this judgment as a precedent-setting one for future Commissions of Inquiry to ensure that they are conducted in accordance with the standards as set out in this judgment – that their conduct adheres to the principles of legality and rationality and that their investigations are thorough and meaningful,” she said. 

The Mercury

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