Gibson Njenje's Guptagate allegations must be investigated by the IGI

The Inspector-General for Intelligence, Advocate Faith Radebe, must investigate allegations that the Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, intervened to stop an investigation by the State Security Agency into the "undue influence" of the Gupta family on the South African government (see M&G report).

The Minister zigzagged his way around numerous questions about the allegations in Parliament. Earlier this week the Minister denied outright that he had intervened to stop the investigation.

However, he is now reported to have admitted there was an investigation and he did intervene to stop it. The Minister is reported in the Mail & Guardian today to have said: "What was stopped was an irregular investigation which involved the use of state security assets to fight private business interests that have no bearing on our work to uphold national security". The Minister does not seem to be able to get his story straight and appears to have contradicted himself.

Whatever the case, this matter must be officially investigated by the Inspector-General of Intelligence.

Unfortunately, the fact that a former director-general in the State Security Agency, Gibson Njenje, who apparently conducted the investigation and is the principle accuser in this matter, reportedly plans to raise this matter with the ANC's secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, does very little to inspire confidence. The allegations are very serious and yet Gibson Njenje seems to think that they should be dealt with in some kind of backroom deal inside the ANC.

We have to get to the bottom of whether the Minister intervened to stop a State Security Agency investigation into the "undue influence" of the Gupta family.

I will, therefore, write to Advocate Faith Radebe, Inspector-General for Intelligence, requesting her to conduct an investigation into allegations that the Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, intervened to stop an investigation into the "undue influence" on the Gupta family on the government of South Africa.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, May 17 2013

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