PUBLIC Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has admitted for the first time that there was a unit within the South African Revenue Services to investigate illegal activities, including cigarette smuggling and illicit trade.
During a heated cross-examination at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry, former SARS commissioner Tom Moyane’s legal counsel Advocate Dali Mpofu insisted that the establishment of the ‘rogue unit’ was illegal, but Gordhan vehemently denied this, saying there was a lot of illegal activities at the time that needed to be dealt with by the revenue services.
Mpofu told the commission that the establishment of the unit was a contravention of the National Strategic Intelligence Act of 1994, a fact he said was also supported by the Sikhakhane Report, and the Public Protector’s findings.
But Gordhan retorted, saying the Sikhakhane report was dismissed by the Nugent Commission.
He further said that various reports handed to Moyane dismissed the existence of the alleged ‘Rogue Unit’ at SARS.
On Monday night, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately remove Gordhan for admitting the establishment of the SARS ‘rogue unit’.
“At the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Pravin Gordhan conceded under cross-examination and under oath, that a unit that was initially to be under the jurisdiction of the National Intelligence Agency, found place within SARS, and was designed to survey and trace activities of persons covertly,” the party said in a statement.
“This admission comes after a long-drawn out campaign by Gordhan, members of the media and the allies of Gordhan, namely, Johan Van Loggerenberg and current Commissioner of SARS Edward Kieswetter, to dismiss credible reports that indeed a mafia run unit existed within the revenue services entity, outside the realms of law and auspices of any intelligence agency and regulations.”
The EFF said this admission to the existence of the unit, which is now ironically rationalized by Gordhan as being necessary in fighting against ‘illicit trade’ and described as being product of international benchmarking across the globe, is ground-breaking and reveals that Gordhan is a man characterized by ‘untruthfulness and thuggery’.
Shortly after his appoint as SARS Commissioner in 2014, Moyane announced that he had no confidence in the revenue services executive committee and immediately disbanded the unit.
The Sikhakhane report found prima facie evidence of the existence of the rogue unit and recommended that a judicial commission of inquiry investigate the matter.
The report also said there was a prima facie evidence suggesting that the activities of the unit might have included rogue behaviour with the potential to be damaging to the reputation of SARS.
During his cross-examination, Gordhan also accused Moyane of using his position as SARS Commissioner to advance ‘State Capture’.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
