Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane says today’s report in the Business Day which says “DA denies raising laundering issue,” is misleading and seeks to distort the truth around the Public Protector’s investigation into the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s relationship with Bosasa (now African Global Operations).
Mmusi emphasized that at no stage has the DA distanced itself from this investigation.
Instead, he said, “We have been explicitly clear in our call for the matter to be finalised, and for Parliament to establish an ad hoc committee to consider the report and its findings – as it did with the Nkandla report.”
“The facts as to the President’s alleged wrongdoings are straightforward,” he added.
“From the very outset, the suspicion of money laundering was raised with the Public Protector”
“It is my contention that on 6 November 2018, President Ramaphosa misled Parliament about a R500 000 “donation” his campaign received from Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson, and the clear conflict of interest that exists between him, his son, Andile Ramaphosa and Bosasa. This, as his son subsequently secured lucrative contracts with Bosasa to the tune of at least R2 million.”
Maimane said that while the focus was on Ramaphosa misleading the House in his initial complaint to Busisiwe Mkhwebane in November 2018, he pointed out that the manner in which the “donation” was allegedly paid raised the suspicion of financial irregularities.
“The nature of the payment, passing through several intermediaries, does not accord with a straightforward donation and raises the suspicion of money laundering. The alleged donor is further widely reported to have received billions of Rands in state tenders, often in irregular fashion.”
“From the very outset, the suspicion of money laundering was raised with the Public Protector, he said.
Maimane went on to say that when he asked Mkhwebane why her investigation was taking much longer than expected, she said to him that during the course of her investigation, it had become “apparent that the nature and extent of the relationship between the Ramaphosa’s and Bosasa ran much deeper than initially thought.”
In another development, Mkhwebane issued a statement saying she was taken aback by DA and CR17 campaign manager claims regarding the investigation involving the President.
Read More: https://www.insidepolitic.org/dirty-money-allegations-are-bizzare-says-cr17-campaign-managers/
Maimane reiterated his call for an ad hoc committee to be established to consider the findings of the report and said he had already written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise.
