Travelgate MP forgiven by his party
Publish date: 20 April 2007
Issue Number: 1809
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Corruption
Craig Morkel, the Progressive Independent Movements leader and sole MP, has been forgiven by his party for stealing R33 000 from Parliament. He will retain his National Assembly seat, according to a report in The Mercury.
The party has agreed that if Morkel entered into a plea bargain with the State and pleaded guilty, he would be able to remain its MP. Party spokesperson Hamish Arries is quoted as saying the party had seen fit to close the book on the episode as the incident had occurred when Morkel was still an MP for another party. He served as both an NNP and later DA MP before defecting to form his own party in 2005. Full report in The Mercury (subscription needed)
