CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned on Friday police must be allowed to examine him after a former intelligence official accused him of money laundering over tens of millions of {dollars} allegedly stolen from the president’s farm.
Ramaphosa has not been formally charged with any crime, however a police spokesperson confirmed that authorities had began investigating the allegations made against the president.
Arthur Fraser, a former director-general of the State Security Agency underneath Ramaphosa’s predecessor Jacob Zuma, final week requested police to examine Ramaphosa’s conduct for alleged money laundering and corruption.
Fraser, who was the nationwide commissioner for the division of correctional providers till final 12 months, mentioned in his criticism to the police that “the quantum was speculated to be within the area of roughly US$4 million to US$ 8 million”. He was referring to the quantity of money he mentioned had been stolen from Ramaphosa’s farm.
While Ramaphosa has confirmed {that a} theft occurred at his farm in 2020 during which he mentioned proceeds from the sale of sport have been stolen, he denied claims of legal conduct.
“The theft that came about on my farm Phala Phala in 2020 is the topic of a legal criticism, and the regulation should take its course. In different phrases, due course of have to be adopted,” Ramaphosa informed lawmakers in parliament.
“We need the police to examine no matter crime, whoever it’s against, with none concern, with none favour and on an neutral foundation,” Ramaphosa informed a information convention later.
The president, who is anticipated to search re-election as chief of the governing African National Congress get together at a gathering due to be held in December, has supplied to seem earlier than the ANC’s integrity fee, which appears to be like into any unethical or immoral conduct which will contain its members.
(Reporting by Wendell Roelf with further reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Anait Miridzhanian; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Mark Heinrich)
