There is too little information in the public domain to know whether the criminal complaints against the president initiated by Arthur Fraser have any substance
There is too little information in the public domain at present to know whether the criminal complaints against the president initiated by Arthur Fraser have any substance . Some issues are straight conflicts of fact: either hush money in the form of bribes was paid, or it wasn’t. Either those involved somehow or other were kidnapped, or they were not.
On other aspects, interpretation of the statutes on which Fraser relies will be necessary. Clearly there was no obligation to report the robbery to the police. Some antecedent illegal transaction usually precedes money-laundering: was it illegal in any way to sell the animals? Was the retention of a huge pile of foreign cash cleared with the relevant authorities? All too murky at present to know.
It is anticipated that the final report will put the ANC in an even worse light than already exists. The combination of complaint and report in this timing is apparently designed to further the agenda of the “radical economic transformation” faction of the ANC, to which Fraser seems to be loyally attached. He may just be scattering bargaining chips because he fears arrest for his role in state capture.
A lot will depend on the more detailed and accountable response the president gives. He already says the complaint will not distract him from his anti-corruption agenda.
All three initiatives address the need for reform of the criminal justice administration in remarkably similar and anti-corrupt ways. The ministry of justice is seized with a sense of urgency on the topic. Correctly and adroitly handled, Fraser is the one who will be checkmated.JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to [email protected]. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published.
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