File picture: Supplied
THE STANDING Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has decided to subpoena a retired former senior police officer who was investigating corruption at Eskom after he refused to appear before the committee.
Scopa had given Brigadier Jaap Burger until last Friday to show why Parliament should not summons him after he initially refused to appear before it and give evidence.
This follows damning allegations made by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter that corruption was rife at Eskom, with even high-ranking officials involved.
De Ruyter said he had told President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national security adviser Sydney Mufamadi and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan about this.
Both Mufamadi and Gordhan said they did not have details about the information De Ruyter made public.
Scopa met on Wednesday where it decided to subpoena Burger to give evidence. He has been summonsed to appear before the committee on November 15.
Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said they had given Burger until Friday to show why he should not be summonsed to appear before the committee.
Hlengwa said Burger still refused to attend the meeting.
Burger had previously voiced concerns for his personal safety over appearing in public at the committee.
Hlengwa said he even alerted Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Friday that Burger was refusing to co-operate with Scopa.
“On Friday I did inform the Speaker. The Speaker is aware to the extent to which this matter has gone. We will despatch correspondence to Burger for him to be aware of the subpoena. The meeting is scheduled for November 15,” said Hlengwa.
Members of the committee agreed that he should be summonsed.
Bheki Hadebe of the ANC said they had no choice but to invoke the Constitution and parliamentary rules to summons him.
“In line with the Constitution, I fully agree with the committee to invoke the subpoena for Burger to appear,” said Hadebe.
Benedicta van Minnen of the DA also agreed that Burger should be summonsed.
Parliament’s legal adviser, Fatima Ebrahim, said the process to be followed now was that they will write to the Speaker to sign off the letter summonsing Burger.
Hlengwa said they will also write to Burger on Wednesday that the subpoena was on the way.
Burger is expected to appear before Scopa on November 15.