Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - Former Eskom acting chief executive Matshela Koko believes Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane will not be able to assist UDM leader Bantu Holomisa with his request for her to investigate Glencore’s possible corruption links in South Africa.
Koko told the Pretoria News today that he had already unsuccessfully engaged the Public Protector to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa’s association with Glencore and the implications their relationship had on the running of Eskom.
“No institution wants to pursue anything related to Ramaphosa. I wrote to the Public Protector towards the end of 2020 and had an interview with her and her team on March 7 2021, but I have not heard from them. I believe the latest request will receive the same treatment,” said Koko on Tuesday.
He was reacting to Holomisa’s complaint lodged with Mkhwebane. In a letter to Mkhwebane, dated May 31 2022, Holomisa said he wrote to the Public Protector’s Office “on the heels of of the United States of America fining Glencore PLC with penalties to the US alone for violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and manipulating commodity prices with a total of $1.2 billion (About R18.72 billion)”.
The UDM MP said although SA was not specifically cited in Glencore’s US indictment, “the likelihood of these practices happening in South Africa is quite high, especially given Mr Brian Molefe’s testimony at the Zondo Commission.”
He added that South Africa might be one of the seven African countries mentioned in the media as victims of Glencore’s bribery and corruption racket.
Koko said he also opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa and Glencore in 2020 but was told that the case would not be prosecuted.
“The police were quick to send me a nolle prosecute SMS, indicating that the docket had been withdrawn and the case closed. This is how it works. If Glencore was associated with former President Jacob Zuma they would have left no stone unturned, but because the company is associated with Ramaphosa, no one wants to have anything to do with such. The preoccupation is to pursue certain targets. In essence, they are not in pursuit of evidence but in pursuit of individuals,” said Koko.
Koko said he would request the National Prosecuting Authority to issue him with a nolle prosecute certificate, which allows him to pursue other avenues including private prosecution.
Mkhwebane’s office, Holomisa and the NPA were not immediately available for comment.
Pretoria News