SA officials pass buck on arms deal probe

It has been passed to a fifth successive state organ ‘like a hot potato’, this time from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) back to the police. This, notes a report in The Witness, is despite the police having decided earlier that they were not suited to deal with the request. The SFO inquiry into corruption in the arms deal involving 24 Hawk jet trainers was described by experts as ‘a hot potato’ because no SA authority has come up with anything on it in seven months. The SFO were not aware that their request had been handed back for reconsideration to the police division for serious economic offences. Full report in The Witness

President Thabo Mbeki has reacted angrily to the UK move, mocking British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s reasons for cancelling a graft investigation into BAE Systems’ dealings with the Saudi Government, while demanding an investigation of SA’s involvement with the same company. The Sunday Times says that his surprise broadside follows a request by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office that the Scorpions assist its probe into alleged kickbacks paid by BAE to the staff of former Defence Minister Joe Modise, in exchange for buying their aircraft. Mbeki stunned a crowd at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos – including the Nato supreme commander and business heavyweights Patrice Motsepe and Tony Trahar – with his bitterness over British double standards. Mbeki said the move had left SA tainted with the spectre of corruption, and confirmed his belief that African countries were unfairly singled out in bribery inquiries. Full Sunday Times report