Yengeni 'trying to avoid jail'

2005-02-27 08:17

Makhudu Sefara

Johannesburg - Driven by desperation to avoid prison, disgraced former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni has stepped up his campaign against the national prosecuting authority (NPA) and its former chief Bulelani Ngcuka, who is now a businessman.

This is the view of Ngcuka's spokesperson, Sipho Ngwema: "The most puzzling thing is why it has taken two years for Mr Yengeni to come up with this distorted version?"

Yengeni faces a four-year jail term if his lastest attempt to remain outside of prison fails, following his conviction on March 19 last year by magistrate Bill Moyses.

He is out on R10 000 bail after he admitted defrauding parliament.

Yengeni had received a massive discount arranged by a representative of a bidder in the government's multi-billion armament acquisition programme at a time when he was chairperson of parliament's joint standing committee on defence, which oversaw the process.

And now Yengeni says in an affidavit that he was misled by Ngcuka, former justice minister Penuell Maduna about "a gentlemen's agreement" to plea bargain, which businessman Mzi Khumalo knew about. The three men have branded Yengeni a liar.

In the supplementary affidavit he claims Ngcuka was a spy, harboured a reactionary political agenda - but doesn't explain how this related to the massive discount which forms the basis of his jail sentence.

As an example of Ngcuka's supposed political agenda, Yengeni wrote: "In the recent travel voucher scandal Ngcuka appointed advocate Jan van Vuuren to lead the prosecution team. Adv van Vuuren is the same advocate who prosecuted me in the 80s for treason against the state".

He also said although Ngcuka had an opportunity to start a new organisation afresh, he relied on people with baggage from the past.

His comments were in line with what ANC chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe said a month ago and deputy president Jacob Zuma's complaints against the NPA and those of other people previously investigated by the Scorpions when Ngcuka was at the helm.

But a number of ANC leaders said this week that Yengeni was part of a group that had not yet forgiven Ngcuka for having the guts to go after former struggle icons involved in criminal activity.

"His is a political attack on the person he holds responsible for his failed political career," said an ANC leader.

- City Press