Arms deal case back to court
2003-05-14 21:30
Cape Town - Economists Allied for Arms Reduction-South Africa (Ecaar-SA) is
to go ahead with litigation for the cancellation of the
multi-billion rand arms deal, Ecaar-SA chair Terry
Crawford-Browne said on Wednesday.
On March 26, the Cape Town High Court ordered government to
hand over key arms deal documents to the group, which is
challenging the validity of the deal.
The documents contain the advice of the international offers
negotiating team and the financial working group set up for the
deal.
The court gave President Thabo Mbeki and Finance Minister Trevor
Manuel 10 days to produce the documents.
On Wednesday Crawford-Browne said, "in extraordinary contempt of
that judgement" National Treasury Director-General Maria Ramos
instructed the court in a "affidavit in compliance" that access to
the documents be limited to the applicants' legal advisors, and
that appropriate directions be given by the court to protect the
confidentiality of the documents.
Short notice
"On Monday, May 12, in peculiar circumstances and with less than
one hour's notice, I was called to view the documents," he said.
But, he refused to see the documents "surreptitiously or
otherwise", as he was entitled to them and the public was entitled
to know their contents, given the court's judgement.
Crawford-Browne said he believed Ecaar-SA had enough evidence to
go ahead with the case without those particular documents.
"Accordingly, I have instructed our legal representatives to
proceed with an application for court dates so that the matters of
substance - rather than further delaying tactics of procedure -
can be laid before the court and the public as soon as possible,"
he said.
R287bn
Crawford-Browne, estimates the deal could cost taxpayers
R287bn by 2010.
Ecaar-SA has claimed in court papers that the government's
financial commitment to the arms deal infringes the socio-economic
rights of poor people to improved housing, health care, food,
water, social security and education.
It is seeking to have foreign loan agreements and export
guarantees entered into by Manuel for the purchase of the frigates,
submarines, fighter aircraft and helicopters which are all part of
the arms package, set aside.
It also wants the entire arms deal to be declared "null and
void".
- SAPA