TSHWARELO HUNTER MOGAKANE
Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s adviser has once again been placed at the centre of the Farmgate scandal after UDM leader Bantu Holomisa asked the Section 89 independent panel to investigate allegations that Bejani Chauke illegally brought foreign currency to the country before it was stolen from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm two years ago.
Holomisa made the request in line with the panel’s invitation for members of the National Assembly to submit any information that could be relevant to the investigation.
This week, he submitted a letter believed to have been written by former spy boss Arthur Fraser as additional information to assist the Hawks with their Phala Phala probe.
The document names one of Ramaphosa’s advisers as a person responsible for smuggling large sums of US dollars into South Africa from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Equatorial Guinea.
On Tuesday, Chauke’s phone rang unanswered. He also did not respond to text messages sent to his WhatsApp number.
The June 23 letter gives a detailed account of what transpired before the burglary at the Limpopo farm.
“The money was not declared to either the South African Revenue Services or the South African Reserve Bank and did not enter the formal banking system in this country,” the letter reads.
Chauke allegedly used privately chartered flights, which required an investigation into his movements and mode of transport, according to the document seen by this publication.
“The adviser is said to have concealed the undisclosed amount of US (dollars) in one of his couches at his personal residence.
“This is the money that was stolen from the president's farm on February 9, 2020 and not any money derived from the sale of animals and/or hunting game,” the letter reads.
The letter suggested that the Hawks obtain Ramaphosa’s business records of animal sales and hunting that took place at Phala Phala and other farms between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020.
“Both the business banking records and personal banking recording of the president for the (same period) must be obtained, detailing all credits and debits.
The adviser clearly enjoys a lavish lifestyle far beyond that to be expected of a presidential adviser. It is prudent that a lifestyle audit be conducted into (his) affairs,” the letter reads.
Holomisa called on the panel to scrutinise the 14-page letter and get to the truth. “From reading it, one concludes that Mr Fraser has provided the Hawks with additional, rather explosive information regarding the whole matter, in addition to his now well-publicised affidavit of June 1, 2022.
“The big question is about where the money came from. The clarification from the Presidency that it was from the sale of animals seems to be disputed in the letter,” Holomisa said.
He believes investigating the allegations would shed light on what happened at the president’s farm.
“This spine-chilling allegation, if true, shows that we are in much greater trouble than we thought if South African citizens can so easily transport foreign currency across our borders.
It is clear that the veracity of the information provided, and the allegations made in the letter should be investigated.”
Cape Times