Travelgate 'solution' slammed

2008-10-01 08:02

Cape Town - Democratic Alliance Chief Whip Ian Davidson has lambasted a decision in principle by Parliament's oversight authority to abandon the debt owed the legislature by MPs allegedly involved in the so-called Travelgate scandal.

The decision was announced at an oversight authority meeting last Tuesday, while the nation was understandably immersed in the tumult surrounding the resignation of former president Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet ministers, he said on Monday.

The decision was effectively a double-blow to the South African taxpayer.

'Political solution'

Not only was this massive misuse of public money being brushed under the carpet, but the public also had to foot the bill for Parliament's convenient political solution, he said.

Earlier this year, under pressure from MPs, Parliament attempted to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators of Bathong Travel to recover outstanding monies from MPs implicated in the travel voucher fraud.

This move was met with opposition from Bathong's other creditors, and subsequently abandoned.

Parliament then requested a report from legal advisors which indicated that certain of the claims had proscribed. Some others were procedurally faulty in that the legislature had not been joined as party to the claim. Finally it was not economically viable to recover certain others because the cost of recovery through legal process would exceed the actual amount claimed.

As a result, Parliament had decided to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators to recover the debt, and, to prevent other entities from purchasing that claim and proceeding against MPs, Parliament decided to buy back the claim, which exceeded R3 200 000, at reduced cost of R200 000.

Double jeopardy

"As a matter of principle the DA raises its vehement objection to this decision as it amounts to a double jeopardy for the South African taxpayer," Davidson said.

"Not only was Parliament (and therefore, the public) defrauded by certain miscreant MPs, but now the legislature plans to buy back their debt from the liquidators charged with recovering it."

The DA had consistently and repeatedly criticised the failure by Parliament to act appropriately and decisively against the MPs who were alleged to have been involved in the scandal.

"This latest attempt at a political, rather than judicial, solution to the matter has been forwarded on the grounds of expediency.

"While it is tempting to see the 'sense' in such a plan, it is in fact neither sensible nor ethically or morally acceptable for Parliament to go down a road which would essentially exonerate the fraud of those MPs who are guilty of criminal misconduct, at the expense of the very taxpayers whom their actions allegedly defrauded."

Under these circumstances, the only acceptable course of action was one which would see "those guilty of stealing from the people they were sworn to serve" compelled to settle the full amounts due, or where necessary, face full criminal prosecution for their actions, Davidson said.

- SAPA