FF Plus will ask head of Hawks why alleged EFF/VBS fraud is not being investigated 

29 May 2019

All allegations of corruption must be investigated regardless of who or which political party is implicated and the FF Plus demands that the Hawks must immediately launch an investigation into millions of rand that the EFF allegedly obtained by means of suspected fraud at VBS Mutual Bank.

Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus and member of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Police, will ask the head of the Hawks, general Godfrey Lebeya, to provide a written explanation for why these allegations are not under investigation and why no progress is being made with the investigation if there is indeed one ongoing.

New reports by the journalist investigative unit Scorpio indicate that approximately R4 million of the money that VBS channelled to the EFF was used for the EFF's birthday celebrations in July 2017.

Last year, Adv Terry Motau SC issued, on behalf of the Reserve Bank, a report on irregularities at VBS entitled “The Great Bank Heist”.

In the report, he recommended that various people must be prosecuted, among others, Mr Brian Shivambu, brother of Mr Floyd Shivambu, Chief Whip of the EFF. Thus far, nothing has come of it.

The FF Plus demands that the matter must be urgently and thoroughly investigated. The police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have a golden opportunity here to show that political interference will no longer influence the way they function.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 29 May 2019