President Cyril Ramaphosa will be subpoenaed to answer 31 questions sent to him by the Public Protector’s office with regards to the Phala Phala farm theft saga.
Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka wants answers after Ramaphosa failed to meet the 18 July deadline to respond to the allegations levelled against him after having asked for an extension until 22 July instead.
The president’s request for an extension was denied by the acting public protector meaning that the response was supposed to be in by July 18. “The PPSA will, therefore, be invoking its subpoena powers.”
“A request for further extension has instead been filed. The request for further extension has been denied and was communicated to the President on Monday,” the Public Protector’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Public Protector Act says she may direct anyone including the president of the republic to submit an affidavit, appear before her to give evidence or provide any document for the purpose of conducting an investigation.
Gcaleka will, therefore, use her office’s powers against Ramaphosa and ensure he is subpoenaed “in line with section 7(4) (a) of the Public Protector Act 23 of 1994, read with section 5 thereof”.
The former director-general of the State Security Agency (SSA) Arthur Fraser blew opened a criminal case of kidnapping and money laundering against Ramaphosa, Presidential Protection Unity and Crime intelligence for the alleged cover up of a burglary at took place at the President’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
Source: News24, The Citizen, SABC News, image from Twitter: Jacaranda FM
