Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
June 6, 1997
STATEMENT FROM THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
A Member of Parliament has been asked by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to retract statements made in Parliament about a TRC staff member, or to repeat the comments outside Parliament and face a defamation action.
The TRC's national legal officer, Mr Hanif Vally, wrote to Mr Jaco Maree today saying that his statements about Mr Glenn Goosen, the TRC's national director of investigations, were "prima facie defamatory."
Mr Maree criticised Mr Goosen's questioning of Mr F W de Klerk during a TRC hearing.
Mr Vally added: "...As you were protected by Parliamentary privilege at the time of making the... statements, we... request you to either withdraw the statements... and publicly apologise, or alternatively make (the) statements in a public forum which will enable advocate Goosen to protect his good name, professional integrity and reputation in court."