NPA surprised by court challenge in Gordhan case

NPA surprised by court challenge in Gordhan case

Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation have gone to court to challenge the fraud charge against Minister Gordhan.


NPA Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan SARS


Stephen Grootes | about 6 hours ago 25/10/2016

JOHANNESBURG The National Prosecuting Authority(NPA) says it is surprised that Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation have gone to court to challenge the fraud charge against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

It says the institution had already told the two organisations that NPA head advocate Shaun Abrahams has asked investigators to clarify some details, before making a final decision on whether the prosecution will go ahead.

The two groups have strongly criticised the NPAin their papers suggesting an ulterior motive could be behind its decision.

The NPA's Luvuyo Mfaku says that Abrahams received the submissions from former Sars commissioner Oupa Magashula and his former deputy Ivan Pillay last week.

He decided then to order that some outstanding issues be addressed related to the investigation, before he can make a decision on the matter.

Mfaku says this means that those submissions may result in the case not going ahead.

If this happens it could mean the challenge from the two groups is premature.

Meanwhile, chief executiveof Goldman Sachs Colin Coleman says it's important to support the Finance Minister at this time.

You know we have ratings agencies reviewing South Africas sovereign credit rating in the next couple of months. We have been working extremely hard on our economic growth which has been low. We hope we are starting to improve our democratic institutions which were trying to defend.

Eighty-one CEOs, including Coleman, have backed Gordhan ahead of his medium-term budget speech this week, saying theyre against politically motivated prosecutions.

The 81 CEOs who signed the pledge were:

Altron: No name provided

Anglo American: Mark Cutifani

AngloGold Ashanti Limited: Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan

Asisa: Leon Campher

Aspasa & Sarma: Nico Pienaar

Aveng: Kobus Verster

Bain & Company: Vittorio Massone

Barclays Africa: Maria Ramos

Bid Corporation: Brian Joffe

Blue Label Telecoms: Mark Levy

Business Unity South Africa: Khanyisile Kweyama

Business Leadership South Africa: Thero Setiloane (on behalf of member companies)

Black Business Council: Mohale Ralebitso

Bowman Gilfillan: Robert Legh (chairperson)

Capitec Bank: Gerrie Fourie

CEO Initiative: Jabu Mabuza (convenor)

Chamber of Mines: Roger Baxter

Credit Suisse South Africa: Rick Menell (chairperson)

Dimension Data Middle East & Africa: Grant Bodley

Discovery Limited: Adrian Gore

Distell Limited: Richard Rushton

ENSafrica: Michael Katz (chairperson)

Exxaro Resources Limited: Mxolisi Mgojo

FirstRand Bank: Johan Burger

Goldman Sachs: Colin Coleman

Growthpoint Properties Ltd: Norbert Sasse

Hollard Group: Nic Kohler

Imperial Holdings: Mark Lamberti

Independent: Michael Spicer

Investec Bank Limited & Investec: Stephen Koseff

Johannesburg Stock Exchange: Nicky Newton-King

Kagiso Tiso Holdings: Vuyisa Nkonyeni

KPMG Southern Africa: Trevor Hoole

Liberty Holdings Group: Thabo Dloti

Life Healthcare: Andr Meyer

Lion Pride Investment Holdings Ltd: Geoff Rothschild

Mediclinic SA: Danie Meintjes

Menston Holdings (Pty) Ltd: Stanley Subramoney

MMI Holdings: Nicolaas Kruger

Mondi Group: David Hathorn

Mr Price Group Ltd: Stuart Bird

MTN SA: Phuthuma Nhleko (chairperson) and Mteto Nyati (CEO)

Murray & Roberts Holdings Limited: Henry Laas

Nampak Ltd: Andr de Ruyter

Nando's: Geoff Whyte

Naspers: Bob van Dijk

Nedbank Group: Vassi Naidoo (chairperson)

Nedbank Group: Mike Brown

Netcare: Richard Friedland

Northam Platinum: Paul Dunne

Old Mutual: Bruce Hemphill: Dave Macready and Ralph Mupita

PG Group: Charles Bromley

Pick n Pay Stores: Gareth Ackerman (chairperson)

Pioneer Foods Group Ltd: Phil Roux

Primedia: Roger Jardine

RCL Foods: Miles Dally

Remgro Finance Corporation: Jannie Durand

Reunert: Alan Dickson

Richards Bay Minerals: Mpho Mothoa

RMB Holdings and RMI Holdings: Herman Bosman

Rothschild: Martin Kingston

Safika Holdings: Moss Ngoasheng

Sanlam: Ian Kirk

Sappi Limited: Steve Binnie

Sasol Limited: Bongani Nqwababa & Stephen Cornell

SEIFSA: Kaizer Nyatsumba

Shell Downstream South Africa: Bonang Mohale

Sibanye Gold: Neal Froneman

South32 Limited: Michael Fraser

Spar: Graham O'Connor

Standard Bank Group Ltd: Ben Kruger & Sim Tshabalala

Sun International: Graeme Stephens

T-Systems South Africa: Gert Schoonbee

Telkom SA Limited: Sipho Maseko

TFG: Doug Murray

The Banking Association South Africa: Cas Coovadia

Tower Property Fund Ltd: Marc Edwards

Twinsaver Group: Garth Towell

Webber Wentzel: Christo Els (Senior partner)

Woolworths Group SA: Simon Susman

Woolworths Holdings (Australia): Ian Moir