By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi says that the Phala Phala farm matter would be dealt with without fear or favour once it had reached her office.
Batohi made the statement during a media briefing on high-profile extraditions in Pretoria following a question from a reporter that there may be perceptions of a coverup on the Phala Phala matter.
She says the NPA is currently not involved in investigating the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm.
“The DPCI are conducting investigations and once they reach a point when they feel that the NPA needs to be engaged, they will, and then we will deal with the matter as appropriate at the time.
But, just to say that this matter will be dealt with like any other matter – the rule of law must prevail in our country no matter what,” Batohi said.
Ramaphosa stands accused of concealing a robbery at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo on 9 February and later paying off suspects who stole millions in foreign currency for their silence.
Following the rats’ nest opened by former State Security Agency and Correctional Services head Arthur Fraser’s allegations of the theft, the pressure on Ramaphosa to publicly disclose what happened has been intense.
Fraser stated that Ramaphosa concealed the theft at his farm and accused the president of breaching the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by not reporting the crime.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola meanwhile has denied claims by the Namibian government it refused to provide legal assistance in the case involving Imanuwela David, the alleged mastermind of the Phala Phala farm break-in and robbery.
He said the request it received was about an investigation of a possible infringement of Namibia’s Organised Crime Act.
It was received by the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU), an arm of the National Prosecuting Authority, to assess if the request did not involve foreign bribery.
The SCCU, however, could not immediately process it as it required additional information from Namibian authorities.