DA welcomes Hefer decision subpoena agencies

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Published: 30 Oct 2003

DA welcomes Hefer decision subpoena agencies

The Democratic Alliance has welcomed Judge Joos Hefer's decision to subpoena the country's intelligence agencies.

DA justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer said in a statement yesterday that Hefer should subpoena any witnesses he needed, including Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

She said the onus was on the security agencies to help Hefer's commission with whatever relevant information they had in their possession, and not on the commission to motivate the release of such information.

"It is high time these agencies stopped throwing up smoke screens and came to the party; President (Thabo) Mbeki should see that they do," she said.

Earlier yesterday, commission secretary John Bacon said the heads of the various agencies would be summoned to testify before the commission.

The subpoenas would also force them to submit all relevant documents in their possession to aid the commission's investigation.

The agencies involved were the intelligence units of the departments of defence, and of safety and security, as well as the National Intelligence Agency and the SA Security Service.

Hefer's decision follows a hard-line stance taken last week by the intelligence community in response to the commission's request for documentary evidence.

The commission needs the intelligence documents to help either prove or disprove allegations that national director of public prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, was an apartheid spy. – Sapa.