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Zuma must blacklist BAE and appoint judicial inquiry into arms deal : Crawford-Browne
Monday, February 08, 2010 | Comments: 1
Arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne has addressed a letter to South African President Jacob Zuma wherein he calls for the blacklisting of BAE, the second-largest arms manufacturer in the world, and an independent judicial inquiry into the arms deal.
As a former banker, a member of Economists Allied for Arms Reduction, and author of a book on the arms deal, "Eye on the Money", Crawford-Browne has relentlessly pursued an investigation of the arms deal which todate has failed to materialise.
He is adamant that Zuma ensures that arms giant BAE is blacklisted from all future government contracts in this country including the summary cancellation of BAE's Hawk and Saab Gripen contracts with South Africa. Confirmation of this, according to the activist, should form part of Zuma's state of the nation address on Thursday.
His letter to Zuma is pursuant to BAE Systems out of court settlement last week in terms of which it undertook to make payment of almost R3.9 billion in the United States and Britain. In addition BAE was required to plead guilty in the US to a charge of conspiring to make false statements in connection with certain regulatory filings and undertakings.
In Britain in terms of the agreement with the UK's Serious Fraud Office, the company would plead guilty to neglecting to keep accounting records related to payments made to a former marketing adviser in Tanzania.
As a result Crawford-Browne has requested Zuma to appoint an independent judicial inquiry into the arms deal in the interest of "corruption-free governance".
He drew the President's attention to the fact that during December 2008 Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and former state president FW de Klerk had jointly petitioned then-president Kgalema Motlanthe to appoint a judicial inquiry into the arms deal. In response thereto they were advised to take the matter up with the police.
Moreover in June 2009 Crawford-Browne had petitioned the President to convene a commission of inquiry but was rejected on the grounds that there was no basis for an inquiry and his papers were "vague and embarrassing".
Crawford-Browne alleges that the settlement reached with BAE clearly shows that Zuma's advisers "very seriously misdirected" him.
He concludes by saying that it would be "illegal and irrational" for Zuma to decline to appoint a judicial commission of inquiry in terms of his constitutional obligations.
No doubt this will be receiving support from the opposition parties.
Sapa-RS
As a former banker, a member of Economists Allied for Arms Reduction, and author of a book on the arms deal, "Eye on the Money", Crawford-Browne has relentlessly pursued an investigation of the arms deal which todate has failed to materialise.
He is adamant that Zuma ensures that arms giant BAE is blacklisted from all future government contracts in this country including the summary cancellation of BAE's Hawk and Saab Gripen contracts with South Africa. Confirmation of this, according to the activist, should form part of Zuma's state of the nation address on Thursday.
His letter to Zuma is pursuant to BAE Systems out of court settlement last week in terms of which it undertook to make payment of almost R3.9 billion in the United States and Britain. In addition BAE was required to plead guilty in the US to a charge of conspiring to make false statements in connection with certain regulatory filings and undertakings.
In Britain in terms of the agreement with the UK's Serious Fraud Office, the company would plead guilty to neglecting to keep accounting records related to payments made to a former marketing adviser in Tanzania.
As a result Crawford-Browne has requested Zuma to appoint an independent judicial inquiry into the arms deal in the interest of "corruption-free governance".
He drew the President's attention to the fact that during December 2008 Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and former state president FW de Klerk had jointly petitioned then-president Kgalema Motlanthe to appoint a judicial inquiry into the arms deal. In response thereto they were advised to take the matter up with the police.
Moreover in June 2009 Crawford-Browne had petitioned the President to convene a commission of inquiry but was rejected on the grounds that there was no basis for an inquiry and his papers were "vague and embarrassing".
Crawford-Browne alleges that the settlement reached with BAE clearly shows that Zuma's advisers "very seriously misdirected" him.
He concludes by saying that it would be "illegal and irrational" for Zuma to decline to appoint a judicial commission of inquiry in terms of his constitutional obligations.
No doubt this will be receiving support from the opposition parties.
Sapa-RS
1071 Lyndall Beddy
[ Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | 2:40:48 PM ]
Almost every country in Africa did an Arms Deal to fund their political party at independence. Terry Crawford Browne knows that the ANC will never investigate itself - this is just to embarrass them.
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