'Release report on NPA probe'

2008-12-22 11:19

Johannesburg - The ANC on Monday called for the release of a memorandum detailing "political meddling" by the Scorpions in investigations against the party's Free State chairperson.

"The African National Congress has for a considerable period of time expressed concern about an increasing pattern of politically motivated actions by the NPA...

"... In this context, the ANC demands as a matter of national interest that a copy of the said memorandum be made available to the ANC," party spokesperson Carl Niehaus said.

The call follows a report on Sunday in the City Press newspaper that a senior Scorpions investigator in Bloemfontein had told his juniors and informers to bring incriminating evidence against Ace Magashule.

In a ten-paged memorandum handed over to Scorpions investigations director advocate Thanda Mngwengwe, the unit's Bloemfontein staff claimed that the senior investigator's conduct related to cases involving politicians was motivated by interests other than plain professionalism.

Allegations to be thoroughly investigated

They said chief special investigator Shadrack Sibiya, who heads the Scorpions' investigations in the province, had on two occasions given instructions to a junior to arrest Magashule earlier this year.

"In one instance he (Sibiya) said that the ANC said Magashule must be arrested before the ANC elections could take place in Free State, and (in the) other instance he said that Magashule must be arrested because the ANC was saying that he was causing trouble in the Free State," the report said.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tlali Tlali told City Press that the memorandum had been redirected to Scorpions head advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi and that an investigation was underway.

"Preliminary consideration of the allegations revealed that they are without basis or substance. The NPA has, however, decided that these allegations be thoroughly investigated by a unit outside the DSO (Directorate of Special Operations) and outside Bloemfontein," Tlali told the paper.

- SAPA