Johannesburg – NGO Ubumbano Lokuthula has called for the arrest of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan for his alleged role in the infamous Sars “rogue unit”, in which he is implicated alongside a former Sars commissioner and an official of the tax revenue collector.
The NGO has written to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Shamila Batohi, requesting her to arrest and prosecute Gordhan for his alleged connection with the Sars unit.
The KwaZulu-Natal-based NGO opened a case and laid charges of fraud and corruption against Gordhan at the Durban Central police station last October.
Dr Andile Hlatshwayo, the chairperson of Ubumbano Lokuthula, said at the time that they were giving the police less than six months to come up with tangible charges against Gordhan. He added that based on the evidence they had given the investigating officer, they expected “an appropriate decision to be taken”, which could include Gordhan’s arrest.
Hlatshwayo also advocated for Gordhan to vacate his ministerial position, saying he was abusing the position.
In his latest letter to Batohi, following up on on the case that his organisation had opened against Gordhan, Sars official Johann van Loggerenberg and former Sars commissioner Ivan Pillay, Hlatshwayo said the matter was long overdue as substantial evidence called for the arrest and prosecution of the trio.
“Accused Number 1 in the matter is a senior government public servant and member of the executive (but) this doesn’t preclude him from prosecution as the principle of our justice system states that we are all equal before the law.
“We demand an immediate investigation and prosecution of Minister Pravin Gordhan, Mr Pillay and Mr van Loggerenberg as we have presented substantial evidence against the accused.
“We hope this letter will meet your most favourable response, failure to which will leave us no option but to ventilate the matter further with the courts,” Hlatshwayo said.
Ubumbano Lokuthula’s attorneys, SS Nkabinde Attorneys, also wrote a letter to the SAPS requesting an update on the progress made on the case Hlatshwayo and his organisation had opened last October.
“Our instructions are that our clients opened a case under the CAS number 853/10/2019 , which is currently being investigated by Colonel Mofokeng and Captain Hadebe, both stationed at the Brooklyn police station (Pretoria).
“Our clients hereby request progress on the investigation of this matter as a substantial period of time has lapsed without receiving feedback from yourselves,” the law firm wrote.
Political Bureau