Hawks already processing 41 affidavits related to Phala Phala

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) revealed they were processing at least 41 statements in the Phala Phala robbery docket.

But that was all Hawks National Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, was willing to say on the matter.

He was giving South Africans an update on his department’s priority crimes on Tuesday.

Won’t get drawn into ‘nitty gritty’

The Hawks boss skirted around the Phala Phala issue and was unwilling to divulge whether Ramaphosa’s statement was among the 41 testimonies.

“So far, we have filed 41 statements in the docket. So, I will not deal with the nitty gritty’s of the content whose statement is filed in the docket.

“But rest assured that the 41 statements are more than the statement that the complainant (Arthur Fraser) has filed.”

ALSO READ: Why did Ramaphosa have $4 million cash stashed on his game farm?

The details of the robbery

Ramaphosa is accused of concealing a robbery which took place at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo on 9 February 2020.

Among the allegations is that the president paid off suspects who stole millions in foreign currency that was stashed in the furniture on the farmhouse, in exchange for their silence.

Since the former State Security Agency boss made the explosive allegations of a cover-up, pressure is mounting on Ramaphosa to take the nation into his confidence.

Fraser said the president didn’t just conceal and cover up the incident, he also violated several foreign currency and tax evasion laws by hiding a large stash of cash in the furniture.

The former spy boss further claims the suspects who broke into the president’s property were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid off to keep silent.

President under fire from all sides

Opposition parties have confirmed they intend to file a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala farm robbery scandal.

The forum of political parties – including the Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and African Transformational Movement (ATM), among others –  have been calling for Ramaphosa to be held accountable for the controversial February 2020 robbery

Meanwhile, in a lengthy briefing which outlined most of the cases the Hawks are dealing with, Lebeya says the nature of cases they are dealing with include cash-in transit heists, human and drug trafficking and money laundering.

He says they are currently handling 22 477 cases with more than 500 000 charges with a monetary value of more than R1.5 trillion.

Lebeya says over 4,000 convictions have been secured across the country and “several high-profile cases including VBS, asbestos have also been placed on court rolls.

Lebeya added that the fraud and corruption matter that involves former state security Minister Bongani Bongo which amounted to R124 million is scheduled to be in the courts from November.

ALSO READ: Phala Phala: Ramaphosa to face another motion of no confidence