News

‘Bribery wig’ found at Mapisa-Nqakula’s home

todayMarch 25, 2024 168

Background
share close

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says a wig that was allegedly given to Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as gratification was recovered at her house during last week’s raid.

The Speaker of the National Assembly is in hot water over R4.5 million bribery claims.

A crime which allegedly occurred during her tenure as the Defence Minister.

According to the charge sheet, the Speaker received R2.5 million of the money she had allegedly solicited.

Most of the money was said to have been received at her Johannesburg home in Bruma.

Mapis-Nqakula has approached the high court on an urgent basis in a bid to stop her arrest.

According to the NPA, the Speaker received a wig and an amount of R300 000 at the OR Tambo International Airport in February 2019.

“Besides the whistleblower’s affidavit, there is ample independent evidence that corroborates the witness who allegedly gave the gratifications to the applicant. The wig was recovered during the lawful search at her residence.”

It also revealed that the now Speaker also requested R2 million from one of the witnesses. But that money was never paid to her. (The figure in count 6).

The NPA says there is nothing that renders Mapisa-Nqakula’s application urgent.

“There is no one who has a right to be protected from lawful arrest. It is prudent to consider the fact that even the Act of being stopped by a traffic officer is an arrest, the issue to be debated in these circumstances would be detention thereafter and the lawfulness thereof.”

While the Speaker denied being in contact with the NPA since the search and seizure at her home, the state says she was contacted to present herself at the Lyttelton Police Station for arrest and processing but not for detention.

The state says it believes it has a strong case against the head of the National Legislature.

“The applicant does not have a right not to be arrested. No such right exists in law. Should the decision to arrest be made, the arrest will be lawful.”

Mapisa-Nqakula’s lawyers are accusing the state of having intercepted the former defence minister’s calls and theirs.

One of her legal representatives has cited the fact that an investigator knew about the recent birth of his child – and that a journalist knew which advocate he was planning to brief to represent the Speaker of the National Assembly as just some of the reasons for their claims.

The Speaker’s legal team is arguing that the case against her is weak and riddled with irregularities,  which it says, could not possibly justify her arrest.

The NPA has denied the allegations.

Political parties have called for the Speaker, who is on “special leave”, to resign amid the allegations, with a motion of no confidence in the pipeline.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has on the other hand called for calm, asking that authorities be allowed to do their work.

 

Written by: Lindiwe Mpanza

Rate it

0%