Cope to lay charges of corruption against Arthur Fraser

Political party the Congress of the People (Cope) will be laying criminal charges of corruption against former State Security Agency (SSA) spy boss Arthur Fraser.

Cope said the charges will be laid on Monday morning at 10am at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria.

The state capture commission recommended that former state intelligence minister David Mahlobo, Fraser, and others be investigated for alleged illegal operations at SSA, including the millions of rands looted from the agency.

State Security Agency

Evidence before the commission found that at least R1.5 billion was unaccounted for between 2012 and 2018 at the SSA.

Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem says the allegation contained in the final part of the state capture report that have fingered Fraser are very serious.

“The abuse of taxpayers’ money on a private intelligence unit called Principal Agents Network (PAN) is very scary and needs immediate action from the criminal justice system.

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“An investigation revealed that equipment of this unit like vehicles are still around Gauteng and a number of houses are registered in the names of individuals. We believe that poses a great danger to the security and stability of the country,” Bloem said.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo also recommended that the Hawks reopen the investigation into Fraser. The investigation was allegedly halted by the former Minister of the SSA Siyabonga Cwele after an instruction from former president Jacob Zuma.

“This action is the first of a series of rolling action on the implementation of the Zondo commission’s recommendations. We will continuously approach the police to lay criminal charges against different people whom the commission recommends that the Hawks must investigate and charge,” Bloem said.

ALSO READ: State capture: ‘Investigate Mahlobo, Fraser for looting of cash at SSA’

Bloem adds that the country cannot wait on President Cyril Ramaphosa for another four months before the country acts on the Zondo commission’s report.

“It is our duty and responsibility to assist the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) and the Hawks by laying criminal charges against those who must face the full might of the law. We hope that the Hawks will treat this case as a priority case and arrest and charge Mr Arthur Fraser,” Bloem said.

Phala Phala robbery

Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said he has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, requesting that she urgently establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate what really happened at Ramaphosa‘s Phala Phala game farm.

“Allegations that a secret Crime Intelligence fund was used to pay for the clandestine, off-the-record operation to track and recover the stolen money and apprehend the suspects, as well as the deployment of elite task force members to the president’s farm at an alleged cost of R2 million per month, have broadened the scope of this scandal considerably.”

“In addition to this, the alleged involvement of Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa in secret discussions with Namibian authorities means that this scandal now involves, among others, the VIP Protection Services, Saps, the Justice Department, Crime Intelligence and State Security,” Steenhuisen said.

Steenhuisen added that the robbery at Phala Phala is now well beyond the scope of any single portfolio committee, and as such it calls for the establishment of an ad-hoc committee.