Gigaba says Public Protector state capture request is ‘malicious’

31st May 2017 By: News24Wire

 Gigaba says Public Protector state capture request is ‘malicious’

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba
Photo by: Bloomberg

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said he did not sign a letter requesting the Public Protector to investigate the National Treasury and other related bodies for state capture.

The Public Protector received a complaint against National Treasury, the South African Reserve Bank, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Public Investment Corporation and the Financial Services Board, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s spokesperson Oupa Segalwe told News24 on Tuesday.

While Gigaba’s name was on the letter, his signature was not, said Segalwe. On Wednesday, Gigaba confirmed he did not sign the letter.

“I have got nothing to investigate at National Treasury,” he said outside a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday.

“My job is to protect the integrity of the National Treasury,” he said. “I think there is something going on and I think it is quite a malicious thing that has been done.

“I don’t know who did it and for what purpose. As I indicated also to the secretary general of the African National Congress (ANC) yesterday, I am not party to that.”

“The complaint bears the names of 90 people who identify themselves as ‘ANC MPs and concerned South African citizens’. There are signatures next to only 49 of the names,” Segalwe told News24.

“The complaint will be subjected to the standard process of assessment for jurisdiction and merit before a decision is made on whether it will be investigated or not.”

According to the letter, the entities consistently work in a manner detrimental to the majority of South Africa’s population.