Wapens: Getuies moet sonder regshulp [Beeld, 2013-02-12]
Publication: Beeld Issued: Date: 2013-02-12 Reporter: Maryna Lamprecht
Getuies oor Suid-Afrika se omstrede wapentransaksie sal sonder enige regsverteenwoordiging voor die Seriti-kommissie moet verskyn, tensy hulle bereid is om die rekening self te betaal.
Belangrike getuies, van wie sommige binne drie weke voor die kommissie moet verskyn, is baie ontevrede daaroor, veral nadat die kommissie se integriteit onder verdenking gekom het met die onlangse bedanking van Norman Moabi, senior ondersoeker.
Dr. Richard ­Young, een van die onsuksesvolle tenderaars in die wapentransaksie, het gesê hy voel glad nie gemaklik om sonder regsverteenwoordiging voor die kommissie te verskyn nie. “Dit is ’n kwessie van vertroue. Ek vertrou nie die kommissie nie. Ek wil iemand hê wat ek vertrou om my te verteenwoordig, iemand wat my ken en my storie ken. Die kommissie kan nie sonder die getuies nie, so waarom moet ons ons eie regskoste betaal?”
Dr. Gavin Woods, oud-IVP-LP en voormalige voorsitter van die parlement se staande komitee oor openbare rekeninge (Skoor), het gesê dit kwel hom ook dat hy manalleen voor die kommissie moet verskyn. “Ek kan nie my eie regsverteenwoordiger bekostig nie. Ek sal maar net daarsonder moet klaarkom en my bes moet doen.
“Ek voel net ongemaklik oor die kommissie. Ek het my voorgestel dit gaan ’n ondersoek wees gebaseer op forensiese bewyse, maar dit lyk of dit net ’n klomp advokate is wat vrae vra en hoop om dalk iets raak te boor.”
Terry Crawford-Browne, wapentransaksie-aktivis, het gesê ook hy is ongelukkig omdat die kommissie nie in sy R40?miljoen-begroting vir getuies se regskoste voorsiening gemaak het nie.
Moabi het gister aan Beeld gesê regter Willie Seriti, voorsitter, kon nie die kommissie se geloofwaardigheid sedert Moabi se bedanking herstel nie.
With acknowledgement to Maryna Lamprecht and Beeld.
Arms: Witnesses must testify without legal representation
Witnesses of South Africa's controversial arms deal must appear before the Seriti commission without any legal representation unless they are willing to pay the bill themselves.
Key witnesses, some of whom are to appear before the commission three weeks, are very unhappy about it, especially after the commission's integrity came under suspicion by the recent resignation of Norman Moabi, senior investigator.
Dr Richard Young, one of the unsuccessful bidders in the arms deal, said he does not feel comfortable to appear without legal representation before the commission. "It's a matter of trust. I do not trust the commission. I want someone I trust to represent me, someone who knows me and knows my story. The commission can not be without witnesses, so why should we pay our own legal costs? ".
Dr Gavin Woods, former IFP MP and former chairman of parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), said it worrys him that he must appear before the commission man alone. "I can not afford my own lawyer. I will just have to get along and do my best. "
"I just feel uncomfortable about the commission. I have suggested it would be an investigation based on forensic evidence, but it looks like it's just a bunch of lawyers who may ask questions and hope to get something to drill. "
Terry Crawford-Browne, arms deal activist, said he was unhappy that the commission with its R40 Million budget does not provide legal costs.for witnesses.
Moabi told Beeld on Tuesday that the commission's chairman, judge Willie Seriti, could not recover the commission's credibility since Moabi's resignation.