Zuma steps up Ngcuka fight

2003-11-06 15:48

Cape Town - Jacob Zuma has lashed out at National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Bulelani Ngcuka, accusing him of attempting a "character assassination exercise" against him.

Zuma on Thursday lodged a formal complaint with Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana against the way the directorate conducted its investigation against him over the past three years.

In a statement, he said his complaint focused on the abuse of power, particularly related to the manner in which the investigation was conducted and the conclusion, and the manner in which this was communicated, as well as the reported continuation of the investigation.

"I have said in my submission to the Public Protector that I contend that there was no basis for the continuation of the investigation, given the fact that the NDPP became aware very early on in the investigation that there was no basis for the allegations of an alleged attempted solicitation of a bribe by myself from the French company, Thales."

As early as 2001, the Thales representative concerned informed the NDPP during questioning that no such attempt had been made to him, by Zuma or anybody else within the government.

The NDPP was further aware of the impossibility of Zuma's involvement in the arms procurement process, as it had been part of the three agency Joint Investigation Team into the arms deal and helped draft the report.

"I have never questioned the right of the NDPP to investigate me should he believe there was reason to do so, but I strongly believe that they had no basis to continue with the investigation," Zuma said.

"I assert that the NDPP conducted the investigation in bad faith, motivated not by the need to earnestly search for the truth, but to cast aspersions on my integrity.

"An example of this is the manner in which detailed confidential information about the investigation was made readily available to certain sections of the media."

"The off-the-record briefing between the National Director and a select group of black editors also substantiates the view that the release of personal and confidential information about me to the media was part of a campaign aimed at destroying my reputation and to perpetuate mysterious agendas."

Zuma said he was told Ngcuka gave the editors extensive details of "my personal finances and made other negative and damaging statements".

"My complaint to the Public Protector therefore is that in releasing or allowing information about the investigation to be released, the National Director was not acting in 'good faith' and was acting contrary to the spirit of the law and the Constitution.

"What he did was a political act and definitely not a legal act. In this regard, I contend that the National Director abused the position, authority and power bestowed upon him by his office."

- SAPA