The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Friday that it wants Hawks head Major-General Berning Ntlemeza to give “compelling reasons” why Nkandla architect Minenhle Makhanya has been “let off the hook”.
The party’s leader‚ Mmusi Maimane‚ said “Makhanya was responsible for the planning and designing of President Jacob Zuma’s upgrades to his private residence…and there exists prima facie evidence to suggest he committed an offence‚ and ensured many people were unduly enriched along the way‚ at the expense of the public”.
Earlier this week‚ Police Minister Nathi Nhleko told Parliament that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is not planning to prosecute Makhanya or former directors-general in the Department of Public Works over the controversial overspending.
“On July 28 2015‚ all these cases were nolle prosequi (declined to prosecute) by the NPA. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) wishes to put on record that there is no investigation against Mr M Makhanya‚” Nhleko said.
On Friday‚ Maimane noted that the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) had in 2014 “launched a civil claim against Makhanya‚ seeking to recover more than R155-million from Makhanya as the ‘principal agent’ allegedly responsible for inflating the cost of the ‘security upgrades’ ”.
He quoted the SIU report that said “through the unlawful‚ wrongful and negligent use of the powers that were granted to him‚ Makhanya inter alia increased the scope and extent of the works by designing and authorising items that were not required for security purposes‚ as determined by the SAPS and the SANDF‚ designed and produced more than had been requested and authorised and certified over-payments”.
Maimane also lifted the section of the report that said: “It is also implicit from the claims based on the increase in the scope of works that the value of the president’s‚ or the Zuma family’s residential complex was enhanced.
“Clearly‚ to the extent that these claims are well founded‚ the president or his family were enriched.”
Maimane said it “is unconscionable that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has taken the decision not to investigate what would appear to be prima facie offences of a very serious nature”.
“The DA maintains that all who were involved in the abuse of state resources at Nkandla be brought to book‚ and based on the evidence at hand‚ an investigation into Makhanya and his involvement is essential‚” added Maimane. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
DA demands ‘compelling reasons’ for Hawks decision not to probe Nkandla architect
The party’s leader‚ Mmusi Maimane‚ said “Makhanya was responsible for the planning and designing of President Jacob Zuma’s upgrades to his private residence…and there exists prima facie evidence to suggest he committed an offence‚ and ensured many people were unduly enriched along the way‚ at the expense of the public”.
Earlier this week‚ Police Minister Nathi Nhleko told Parliament that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is not planning to prosecute Makhanya or former directors-general in the Department of Public Works over the controversial overspending.
“On July 28 2015‚ all these cases were nolle prosequi (declined to prosecute) by the NPA. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) wishes to put on record that there is no investigation against Mr M Makhanya‚” Nhleko said.
On Friday‚ Maimane noted that the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) had in 2014 “launched a civil claim against Makhanya‚ seeking to recover more than R155-million from Makhanya as the ‘principal agent’ allegedly responsible for inflating the cost of the ‘security upgrades’ ”.
He quoted the SIU report that said “through the unlawful‚ wrongful and negligent use of the powers that were granted to him‚ Makhanya inter alia increased the scope and extent of the works by designing and authorising items that were not required for security purposes‚ as determined by the SAPS and the SANDF‚ designed and produced more than had been requested and authorised and certified over-payments”.
Maimane also lifted the section of the report that said: “It is also implicit from the claims based on the increase in the scope of works that the value of the president’s‚ or the Zuma family’s residential complex was enhanced.
“Clearly‚ to the extent that these claims are well founded‚ the president or his family were enriched.”
Maimane said it “is unconscionable that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has taken the decision not to investigate what would appear to be prima facie offences of a very serious nature”.
“The DA maintains that all who were involved in the abuse of state resources at Nkandla be brought to book‚ and based on the evidence at hand‚ an investigation into Makhanya and his involvement is essential‚” added Maimane. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
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