EFF leader Julius Malema denied claims of getting funds from VBS. File Picture: Timothy Bernard/ African News Agency (ANA)
Economic Freedom Front (EFF) leader Julius Malema told the Parliamentary Ethics Committee to back off, when asked about alleged funds channelled into his account by VBS, following a complaint by the leader of the DA, John Steenhuisen, that he’d received millions from the mutual bank.
The committee did not make a conclusive finding that Malema received cash from VBS.
Steenhuisen had claimed in his complaint in 2019 that Malema received millions from VBS.
But the committee had obtained a report from the liquidator of VBS that there was no direct evidence that Malema got payments.
The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) said it was prevented by the law to disclose information about transactions in the accounts of people.
But when acting Registrar of Members’ Interests, advocate Anthea Gordon wrote to Malema on October 21, 2019 about the allegations made by Steenhuisen on VBS, Malema replied on the same day.
“I think the letter is misdirected because I’ve nothing to do with the company in question. Next time come with something solid and not this newspaper junk. I’ve nothing to do with all this nonsense,” wrote Malema.
The ethics committee then continued to investigate the allegations against him.
But when the FIC refused to give financial statements on his affairs, the committee decide to close the matter.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics