Democratic Alliance MP and spokesman on communications Marian Shinn said on Sunday that she plans to write to Western Cape provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer to find out why the South African Police Service is “failing” to investigate former communications minister Dina Pule.
“The South African Police Service (SAPS) has either lost the docket on Pule, or they are failing in their duty to investigate the allegations of corruption against the former minister,” Shinn said in a statement.
“In both cases they have failed to give adequate feedback on exactly what they have been doing since I was informed in June that the case had been escalated.”
She said she will ask Lamoer to investigate “this failure of the SAPS to investigate”.
Shinn submitted an affidavit to the SAPS at a Cape Town police station in May requesting that it investigate possible criminal activities involving Pule, her alleged romantic interest Phosane Mngqibisa, the suspended SABC chief financial officer Gugu Duda and SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo.
She said agreed to investigate the allegations and would escalate the matter to the corruption-fighting unit, the Hawks.
“A response from the Hawks in the Western Cape revealed that they have no record of the corresponding case number and that the specific case is not being investigated by the Hawks,” Shinn said. “I approached Lamoer and the national head of the Hawks, Anwa Dramat, two weeks ago to clarify who is handling the case and to give a progress report. Both have failed to respond.”
Shinn added: “Uncertainty surrounding the docket raises serious concerns whether political interference in the case might be preventing progress. The SAPS needs to explain where the corruption investigation docket into Pule is. There is no exception when it comes to combatting corruption in South Africa’s government sector.”
President Jacob Zuma earlier this month sacked Pule from his cabinet, replacing as communications minister with Yunus Carrim. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media