Posts

CORRUPTION NEWS

Chippy Shaik’s testimony full of denials

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Chippy Shaik, the former Department of Defence chief of acquisitions whom arms critics believe was central to the subversion and manipulation of South Africa’s controversial 1999 arms deal, has denied any wrongdoing. Testifying at the Arms Procurement Commission last week, Shaik insisted he had not:   *acted inappropriately to ensure his fraudster Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Chippy Shaik to testify at Seriti Commission

By Lee-Ann Alfreds         HE’S the umpteenth witness to be called, and the first since the Arms Procurement Commission was stunned by critic Hennie van Vuuren’s refusal to testify. But Shamim “Chippy” Shaik is no hors d'oeuvre. He is in fact, critics argue, the main course – the “key figure” in the subversion and manipulation of Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Seriti Commission given five more months

Judge Willie Seriti has been given another five months in which to finish investigating bribery, corruption and other acts of impropriety which might have happened during the acquisition of prime mission equipment for two arms of the South African National Defence Force in 1999. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement released last Friday that, Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms deal critics are not the ones on trial

By Lee-Ann Alfreds He is prepared to face the consequences of his actions – which include being jailed – as he genuinely believed he had no other choice. These were the sentiments of arms deal critic Hennie van Vuuren, after he refused to testify at the Arms Procurement Commission. Explaining his decision, which sent shockwaves Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Whistle-blowers in the hot seat at inquiry

By Anine Kriegler and Murray Hunter The arms companies have successfully avoided scrutiny at the Seriti Commission, essentially putting the whistle-blowers and critics on trial. The absence of the arms companies from the Seriti Commission is telling. The commission’s first phase was focused on the arms deal’s rationale – why the South African government bought Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Van Vuuren defiant at Seriti Commission

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Hennie van Vuuren, the arms deal critic who withdrew from the Arms Procurement Commission in August, appeared before it on Monday, 20 October, as instructed. The week before, Van Vuuren told Corruption Watch that "I have been summonsed to appear on 20 October and will be at the Arms Procurement Commission at Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms Deal Commission must bring accountability

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Around 40 local and international organisations are calling for the Arms Procurement Commission to be scrapped as concerns over its credibility ratchet up. Corruption Watch, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Right2Know Campaign, Section27, Equal Education and the Treatment Action Campaign are among the organisations which have "lost faith" in the commission's ability to get to the bottom Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Civil society asks for dissolution of arms commission

More than 30 local social justice organisations, including Corruption Watch, have issued a joint call for real arms deal accountability. Read their statement below: The 1999 arms deal represents up to R70-billion that should have been spent on housing, education, health and South Africa’s other pressing social needs. The arms deal corrupted our politics, weakened Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Respond to subpoena, or face criminal charges

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Will they or won’t they? That is the question as the rumbling around the credibility of the Arms Procurement Commission becomes a roar. Will arms deal critics Hennie van Vuuren, Andrew Feinstein and Paul Holden appear before the commission as they have been ordered to do – or will they obey their Read more >