Cops haven't questioned Willie Hofmeyr
2011-07-15 13:06
Johannesburg - Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head Willie Hofmeyr has not been questioned by the police investigating him, he said on Friday.
"I've not been questioned, but the SIU was approached by the investigating officer for background material," Hofmeyr told reporters in Johannesburg.
"For anybody in a position dealing with serious cases of corruption, the most common way [to derail them] is to discredit the person or institution doing the investigation," he said.
Hofmeyr would not elaborate on his remark, other than to say this was the situation "in general".
He said he was confident of a fair and speedy investigation despite the "nasty" allegations against him.
Investigation
The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed this week that it had received a docket from the Serious and Economic Offences Unit on the investigation into him.
It related to the alleged misappropriation of SIU funds and the alleged flouting of supply chain and procurement procedures in the awarding of a tender to refurbish the unit's offices in Silverton, Pretoria. The SIU is involved in several investigations, including fraud and maladministration cases against 16 departments and public entities.
Hofmeyr worked with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on the probe into the multi-billion rand lease of police headquarters in Pretoria.
News of the investigation into Hofmeyr came days after reports that Madonsela faced imminent arrest on a criminal charge.
The Democratic Alliance said it believed there was a "sinister" motive behind both investigations.
The party's justice spokesperson Debbie Schafer said it was a case of "one too many" co-incidences that both people involved in the police headquarters probe were now under investigation.
"Since the elimination of the Scorpions, the SIU and the public protector are in reality the only truly independent institutions that investigate high-level corruption," she said.
"How ironic that they are now both the subject of police investigations."
- SAPA