The Phala-Phala scandal that threatens to derail President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency just won’t go away.
New report from Sunday Times claims it took the president a whole month to reveal that the money had been taken from his private cattle farm in Limpopo.
The country’s former spy chief, Arthur Fraser, said the president was involved in an elaborate cover-up of the crime after criminals allegedly working in connivance with his domestic worker broke into his property and stole millions of US dollars. cash.
Fraser went on to claim that the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated and bribed into silence.
In accordance with Sunday Times A statement by the head of the Presidential Protection Service (PPS), Major General Walter “Wally” Rhode, to the Public Protector’s office revealed that despite Ramaphosa informing him of the security breach on February 10, 2020 – a day after it happened – he only reported the following month that the money had apparently been stolen.
In his remaining days, Ramaphosa attended several state engagements across South Africa.
Road’s statement shows that on 2 March 2020, he was called to the president’s private residence in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, where Ramaphosa told him that money from the sale of animals had been stolen, although Ramaphosa did not say how much.
Ramaphosa, Rhode dispute Fraser’s claims
Rhode and Ramaphosa dispute several of Fraser’s claims, including the president’s claims of tax evasion and the illegal detention of burglary suspects.
The presidency has confirmed that a robbery took place at the presidential farm in Limpopo on or about February 9, 2020, during which proceeds from the sale of the game were stolen, but rejected claims of cover-up and tax evasion.
Pressure is mounting on Ramaphosa to explain what happened during the hack two years ago.
The Public Protector’s office has since called on South Africans to desist from interfering in the ongoing investigation into the farm theft.
There are growing calls for the institution to release Ramaphosa’s answers to 31 questions relating to the now infamous Chapter Nine theft.
The president filed written responses to the public protector’s office over the Phala Phala farm robbery last month after being threatened with a subpoena after missing an initial deadline.
The Public Protector says the publication of Ramaphosa’s 31 responses would jeopardize the investigation.
READ NOW: Corruption Watch demands transparency in Phala Phala robbery
