The Investigating Directorate has denied media reports suggesting that it interrogated former Cabinet minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson over allegations of bribery and soliciting payments of R600,000 from suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
JOHANNESBURG – The Investigating Directorate (ID) has denied media reports suggesting that it interrogated former Cabinet minister and MP Tina Joemat-Pettersson over allegations of bribery and soliciting payments of R600,000 from suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
On Sunday, “City Press” reported that Joemat-Pettersson was subjected to an interrogation by the ID days before her death last Monday.
At the time of her death, Joemat-Pettersson was fingered in an extortion allegation by Mandla Skosana, Mkhwebane’s husband.
The ANC and the National Assembly issued an announcement saying these allegations would be investigated.
According to Skosana, at a meeting at OR Tambo International Airport, Joemat-Pettersson asked him for a bribe to make the Section 194 inquiry investigating Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office “go away”.
Skosana opened a case of extortion at the police station at the airport.
However, the ID was quick to dismiss media reports suggesting that it had questioned Joemat-Pettersson on these allegations, saying they had sought to get her clarification on a separate and unrelated matter.
“The Investigative Directorate is not dealing with any allegations involving any complaints by Mkhwebane. The ID team did meet with Joemat-Pettersson to clarify issues on an existing ID matter, and the matter in question has nothing to do with the Blue Lights matter.
“She was not interviewed as a suspect,” the directorate said.
“Her death is unfortunate, and any intimation that relates to the visit by the ID team is contemptuous and ill-informed. The ID team will not be used to create sensation around the untruths referred to in your query.”
This comes as Mkhwebane and her husband are set to spill the beans at a press briefing about the late Joemat-Pettersson’s alleged involvement in the bribery claims relating to the Section 194 committee.
The much-anticipated briefing is expected to take place in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
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Mkhwebane is expected to shock the nation and set the record straight as she makes public for the first time the audio recordings alleging that three ANC MPs tried to extort a R600k bribe from Skosana.
Last week, Skosana stated in his affidavit that he was approached by former minister Joemat-Pettersson, who died last Monday under “mysterious circumstances”, and allegedly asked for the bribe on behalf of the ANC chief whip in Parliament, Pemmy Majodina, and Richard Dyantyi, who is the chairperson of the Section 194 inquiry investigating Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
Skosana claims in his affidavit that the trio, through Joemat-Pettersson, claimed they would “manipulate or make the inquiry go away”.
