Cape Town – Mmusi Maimane, leader of Build One SA (BOSA), has opened a criminal case against former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding corruption allegations at the country’s power utility.
Maimane, who filed the case at the Cape Town Central police station on Monday, said he opened the case to initiate the “swift” investigation and imprisonment of “Eskom looters”.
De Ruyter stepped down from his post with immediate effect after making shocking allegations during a television interview, in which he expressed doubts about the political will in government to end endemic graft at the power utility.
De Ruyter was lambasted by the ANC for the interview, with the party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula labelling him incompetent.
Mbalula called on De Ruyter to provide evidence of his corruption allegations, while Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen hailed him as “a national hero”.
Maimaine wants the police to investigate De Ruyter’s allegations about a high-level ANC politician’s involvement in the corruption at Eskom.
Although De Ruyter had indicated that he reported the alleged corruption, Maimane said the former CEO should have disclosed the identity of the ANC politician, the Cabinet minister he spoke to and whether he obeyed section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane at the Cape Town Police Station to compel Andre de Ruyter to provide evidence about the corruption he’s said has taken place at #Eskom. pic.twitter.com/szma1VXwiW
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 27, 2023
The Act stipulates that anyone with knowledge of corrupt behaviour by a person in authority is obliged to report it.
“De Ruyter needs to provide proof that he reported the corruption to the police.
“De Ruyter has stated in the television interview that he acknowledges his obligation to report all such crimes by law. If indeed he has done so, then he would have the ‘receipt’ envisaged by the reporting guides of the SAPS to prove that he has done so,” said Maimane.
BOSA also wants an affidavit from Gordhan stating if and when De Ruyter informed him about the alleged corruption, whether the president and police were alerted about the matter and what happened after he reported it.
Maimane said he was still waiting on president Ramaphosa’s response regarding his knowledge of the allegations and the actions take.
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Picture: Facebook/ Mmusi Maimane
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
