Seriti arms deal inquiry 'has failed'

More than 30 pressure groups want the Seriti Commission inquiring into the 1999 arms deal to be scrapped.

Instead the organisations want those accused of corruption to be investigated and prosecuted.

Right2Know spokesman Murray Hunter said: "The arms deal represents up to R70-billion that should have been spent on housing, education, health and South Africa's other pressing social needs.

"But, despite mounting evidence of corruption, there has never been a full and transparent investigation," he said.

Hunter accused the commission of refusing to release evidence to the public, or admit certain documents into evidence, and of making rulings that restricted witness testimony.

Said Hunter: "We have lost faith in the Seriti Commission's capacity to reveal the truth behind the arms deal. It has lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the public."

The Sunday Times is in possession of documents that it says show that President Jacob Zuma was on the payroll of French arms dealer Ajay Sooklal.

Sooklal allegedly arranged flights, expensive clothing, legal fees and lavish hotel stays in Europe for Zuma.

The report alleged that Zuma received a R500000 bribe from French arms company Thales in 2000. Thales subsidiary Thint won a R2.6-billion contract in 1997 to fit four new navy frigates with combat suites.

Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj said that any information relating to the arms deal should be sent to the Seriti Commission.

Commission spokesman William Baloyi said: " The commission is busy with its work and we will not allow such calls to divert our focus ."

Some of the organisations calling for the commission to be aborted are Corruption Watch, Lawyers for Human Rights, Right2Know, the Institute for Security Studies, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, the Treatment Action Campaign and Gun Free SA.