First phase of arms inquiry about justification
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Cape Town - 130605 - "Please brother, help us find a solution," Mayor Patricia De Lille says to The Voice Photojournalist Ayanda Ndamande, when asked about providing sanitation in areas that the city staff have been intimidated. The mayor held a press conference regarding the current spate of toilet issues, making note of instances of intimidation of city staff and the barriers to building flush toilets in areas, stating that the new portable flushable toilets were dignifiable and sanitary. PICTURE: THOMAS HOLDER. REPORTER: ALLY LEWIS Cape Town - 130605 - "Please brother, help us find a solution," Mayor Patricia De Lille says to The Voice Photojournalist Ayanda Ndamande, when asked about providing sanitation in areas that the city staff have been intimidated. The mayor held a press conference regarding the current spate of toilet issues, making note of instances of intimidation of city staff and the barriers to building flush toilets in areas, stating that the new portable flushable toilets were dignifiable and sanitary. PICTURE: THOMAS HOLDER. REPORTER: ALLY LEWIS
Pretoria - The first phase of the Seriti Commission of Inquiry will deal with executive justification, evidence leader Tayob Aboobaker, SC, said on Monday.
During the first phase witnesses from various government departments would be called to testify, he said.
These witnesses would “shed light” on what was known as the strategic defence procurement package (SDPP).
Aboobaker was outlining the commission's processes at the Tshwane Council Chambers in Pretoria.
He said at this stage people could just speculate on what the findings of the commission would be.
“The first phase of the commission deals with the executive justification for the strategic defence procurement package and the second phase is, inter alia, with the attack of critics of this justification.
“The scope of the second phase is potentially much wider.”
Aboobaker said the second phase would start after January next year.
Some of the witnesses expected to testify during that phase were Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille, Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier, former ANC public accounts committee (Scopa) member Andrew Feinstein, former Scopa chairman Gavin Woods, and anti-arms deal campaigner Terry Crawford-Browne.
Aboobaker said the commission had a colossal task in scrutinising the SDPP.
“It [the inquiry] is a process where those responsible for the SDPP, those who participated in its finalisation, are called to account for their actions. It is not a process by which they are brought to book, that would be part of a separate process in which the NPA may be called upon to take such action,” he said.
“That process could well result in the prosecution of those individuals who the NPA in its wisdom finds that a proper case has been laid out for prosecution. Our mandate is to present all relevant information at our disposal.”
The first witness from the defence and military veterans department would start testifying on Tuesday.
The commission was postponed on August 5 after it was decided that time was needed to decide how to proceed with declassifying documents relevant to the inquiry.
In a statement the commission said the main reason for the adjournment was the resignation of one of the commissioners, Judge Francis Legodi.
This resulted in the remaining two commissioners, Judge Willie Seriti and Free State Judge President Thekiso Musi, not being properly constituted.
President Jacob Zuma had since decided that the commission would continue with just two commissioners.
Seriti on Monday made it clear that the commission was properly constituted.
Sapa