Guptagate report must be made public and tabled in Parliament
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, must make the final report of the investigation into "Guptagate" public and table the report in Parliament.
The Minister appointed a high-level task team, comprising of five director-generals, to investigate the unauthorised landing of a Jet Airways Airbus A330-200 at AFB Waterkloof. The investigation has now reportedly been completed and the final report handed to the Minister.
There are three legitimate concerns about the fate of the final report of the investigation into "Guptagate".
First, the final report of the investigation may not be made public. Yesterday, the acting government spokesperson, Phumla Williams, reportedly said there was no promise to release the full document.
Second, the final report may not be tabled in Parliament. Instead, the final report may be handled in a similar way to the "Nkandlagate" investigation report which has been buried in the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI). The JSCI is increasingly becoming the committee where political scandals go to die in Parliament.
And finally, the final report may be censored. Yesterday, Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, was careful to point out the final report of the investigation was only an "interim report". There is a concern that any findings, which may implicate President Jacob Zuma and members of his Cabinet, will be excised from the final report.
The DA therefore calls on the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, to:
- make an unexpurgated copy of the final report of the investigation into "Guptagate" public; and
- table an unexpurgated copy of the final report of the investigation in "Guptagate" in Parliament.
The Minister must realise that anything less will be perceived by the public as a cover-up.
Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, May 15 2013
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