No espionage charges against Finance Minister Gordhan, says NPA

23 May 2016 | Admin Author

There are no charges of espionage that are being investigated against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams said on Monday.

“I wish to make the following emphatically clear. There are no charges of espionage being investigated against Minister Gordhan. There are no charges of espionage being investigated against any other person associated with what has been dubbed the so-called SARS rogue unit,” Abrahams told reporters at the National Prosecuting Authority headquarters in Pretoria.

“Although the special director of public prosecutions who heads the priority crime investigation unit would ordinarily make his decision in consultation with the director of public prosecutions on whether or not to prosecute, in this matter the special director concerned will make a recommendation to me on whether or not any person should be prosecuted.”

Abrahams added: “In the event that the minister is implicated, I will make the decision at the conclusion of the investigation as to whether any person or persons must be prosecuted, including the minister”.

He said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) was not obliged to disclose to anyone who their suspects were and the nature of the crimes they were probing.

“It is absolutely unheard of. It is not in anyone’s interest for this matter to be investigated in the public domain, for all and sundry to suddenly become experts to comment and advise thereon in circumstances where all the evidence is unknown to such persons, nor is there evidence at his or her disposal,” said Abrahams.

“In the event that evidence implicates any person of having committed a crime, a warning statement will be obtained from the person. He or she will be afforded an opportunity to respond to any criminal allegations.”

He said suspects were always informed “in no uncertain terms”.Abrahams said even though powers to arrest were in the purview of the police, no one was facing arrest.“I can assure you that under my authority, no person including Minister Gordhan will be the subject of any arrest or charges being preferred against them in this matter.

I implore you to respect the process of the investigation until its conclusion along with any decision thereafter as to whether any person must be prosecuted,” he said.

Media reports earlier this month suggested that Gordhan faced imminent arrest and prosecution on espionage charges relating to the activities of the SA Revenue Services’ so-called “Rogue Unit”.

The unit was established while Gordhan was the commissioner of the tax agency.The reports had an adverse impact on the market, plunging the struggling rand into turmoil.– African News Agency (ANA)