EFF to open corruption, fraud, money-laundering case against Gordhan
The party's decision to lay charges against the minister appears to be a response to the charges he has laid against their leader, Julius Malema.
The EFF’s Floyd Shivambu, left, reacts as Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema briefs the media, 13 October 2016. Picture: Neil McCartney
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have released a statement announcing that they will be laying a criminal case against minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria at 11am on Tuesday morning.
The party accuses the minister of a long list of crimes including money laundering , racketeering, fraud and perjury.
They also accuse him of being in contravention of the Intelligence Act and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities act.
EFF To Open A Case Of Corruption Against Pravin Gordhan pic.twitter.com/DiIxi4pEYC
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 26, 2018
The EFF’s intention of laying charges against Gordhan appears to be a response to his laying charges against the party’s leader, Julius Malema, at the Brooklyn Police Station in Tshwane on Monday.
The minister’s legal team confirmed that Gordhan laid charges of criminal defamation, crimen injuria, and incitement of violence against Malema.
Malema protested outside the commission of inquiry into state capture, where Gordhan was giving evidence last week, accusing the minister of being “corrupt” and “a dog”.
Gordhan told the media outside the police station: “I think what we’re saying to South Africans is that we can’t any longer allow the corruption that’s going at all levels in this country to be masked by racism, by personal attacks, by family attacks and, of course, political attacks as well. So we have decided enough is enough.
“When we are trying to build one nation, we can’t have people using the kind of language they’ve been using and the kind of attacks they’ve been using,” he continued.
He accused Malema of defamation and inciting public violence and said it was now up to police officers to investigate.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Additional reporting by AFP)
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