Scorpions dismiss accusations
2005-02-04 11:41
Cape Town - The Scorpions have dismissed accusations by African National Congress Chief Whip Mbulelo Goniwe that they are unfit to carry out the investigation into the parliamentary travel scandal.
"Quite frankly it (the comments) does not warrant a response," national prosecuting authority spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi told Sapa on Friday.
He said the Scorpions had not decided whether or not to respond to the remarks, but felt "no comment" would be in order.
At a parliamentary media briefing on Thursday, Goniwe criticised the Scorpions and their ability to conduct a thorough investigation into parliamentary travel irregularities.
"The number of errors that are being committed in that investigation are shocking," he said, questioning how the Scorpions could investigate the case when investigators were leaving the organisation in droves.
"It is our view this investigation was characterised by bad faith; vindictive, spontaneous, completely unplanned, but also in a very, very non-sensitive manner."
The ANC thought the investigation an act of vengeance designed to undermine parliament, and create the image MPs were cowboys and crooks.
"This could not be further from the truth."
Goniwe said the justice department and its agencies would be summoned to parliament to explain "what is their intention with this investigation".
It had come to the fore at a critical time, and threatened to showcase South Africa as a "criminal's paradise".
Investigators had promised to make arrests when the African parliament was opened in Midrand last year, creating much embarrassment for the country, but nothing had happened.
"Arresting people at that point in time, I don't understand if it would really be in the interests of justice, more than in the interest of embarrassing South Africa," he said.
Goniwe also noted it was strange that as the president was preparing to make his 2005 State of the Nation address, the subject had surfaced again.
"I don't think it is a coincidence. I think it's a planned, desperate kind of act of vengeance to really undermine parliament and create this impression that members of parliament are by definition cowboys and crooks," he said.
- SAPA