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CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms deal critics are not the ones on trial

By Lee-Ann Alfreds He is prepared to face the consequences of his actions – which include being jailed – as he genuinely believed he had no other choice. These were the sentiments of arms deal critic Hennie van Vuuren, after he refused to testify at the Arms Procurement Commission. Explaining his decision, which sent shockwaves Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Respond to subpoena, or face criminal charges

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Will they or won’t they? That is the question as the rumbling around the credibility of the Arms Procurement Commission becomes a roar. Will arms deal critics Hennie van Vuuren, Andrew Feinstein and Paul Holden appear before the commission as they have been ordered to do – or will they obey their Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Woods: there is a “high probability” of corruption

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Gavin Woods epitomises the saying “when his country called, he answered”. Fourteen years after his and co-chairman of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Andrew Feinstein’s, harrowing attempts to discover the truth behind allegations of corruption in the arms deal, the former IFP member is once again trying to help uncover the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Seriti Commission not fair or consistent

By Lee-Ann Alfreds The withdrawal of arms deal critics Andrew Feinstein, Paul Holden and Hennie van Vuuren from the Arms Procurement Commission was not surprising in light of the unfair treatment meted out to detractors who have participated in proceedings. This was the unanimous verdict of civil society organisations and arms deal and constitutional experts Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Commission not going to fulfil its mandate?

By Lee-Ann Alfreds THE Arms Procurement Commission is a “waste of taxpayers’ money”. Speaking on Friday 29 August, a day after he and fellow critics Paul Holden and Hennie van Vuuren announced they were withdrawing from the inquiry, Andrew Feinstein said while they had “really wanted this commission to work”, they had concluded they could Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

LHR and clients pull out of Seriti Commission

Source: Lawyers for Human Rights Media statement: Withdrawal from the Arms Procurement Commission The arms deal was a uniquely damaging moment in our young democratic history. It was concluded after decades of uncontrolled spending on foreign and internal wars by the apartheid regime. From the signing of the contracts in 1999 up to R70-billion of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Mbeki: arms deal was above board

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Former president Thabo Mbeki returned to the limelight after almost six years in virtual seclusion to deny there had been anything untoward in the 1999 arms deal. Testifying before the Arms Procurement Commission – which is probing allegations of fraud and corruption in the controversial deal – Mbeki insisted there was no Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms deal commission, phase one – a summary

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Almost one year after the start of proceedings, the first phase of public hearings of the Arms Procurement Commission has drawn to a close. But little – if anything – new has been learnt of South Africa’s controversial 1999 arms deal which the commission has been tasked with investigating. “Nothing came to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms commission holds great significance for country

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Just 750m apart, two different legal proceedings are underway in the heart of Pretoria. Both are intriguing, will influence the way South Africa is viewed around the world, and have had – to a greater and lesser extent – an impact on the lives of South Africans. But that is where the Read more >