President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied claims by South Africa’s former state security chief Arthur Fraser that he was complicit in the theft of millions of dollars at his farm in 2020.
Fraser announced in a statement on Wednesday that he had laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa emanating from the theft of more than US$4 million allegedly “concealed within the premises of the president’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo, by criminals who were colluding with his domestic worker.”
Fraser said the alleged suspects were later kidnapped and interrogated on the president’s property and were later reportedly bribed to “keep them silent.”
“The president concealed the crime from the SA Police Service and/or SA Revenue Service and thereafter paid the culprits for their silence,” Fraser said.
The former State Security Agency boss said he had furnished the police with details of the charges and the supporting evidence, which included photographs, bank accounts, video footage and names of those involved in the crime.
He wants Ramaphosa to be charged with defeating the ends of justice, kidnapping of suspects, their interrogation on his property and bribery.
Ramaphosa on Thursday, however, denied the allegations, arguing through his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya that “there is no basis for the claims of criminal conduct that have been made against him in Mr Fraser’s statement.”
“The Presidency can confirm that a robbery took place at the President’s farm in Limpopo on or around 9 February 2020 in which proceeds from the sale of game were stolen,” Magwenya said.
He said Ramaphosa was at the time of the robbery attending an African Union summit in Ethiopia.
“On being advised of the robbery, President Ramaphosa reported the incident to the head of the Presidential Protection Unit of the South African Police Service for investigation.”
The spokesperson said Ramaphosa “stands ready to cooperate with any law enforcement investigation of these matters.”
Fraser also served as national commissioner of South Africa’s Correctional Services and was in charge of the country’s prisons last year when former president Jacob Zuma was arrested and imprisoned due to his court of contempt charges.
He freed Zuma after two weeks of burning and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, and the death of over 300 people and destruction of property worth billions of dollars.
NM/jn/APA