Rustenburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied there was any form of money laundering at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
Answering questions in Parliament, Ramaphosa said the money was the proceeds from the sale of game.
“There was no form of money laundering. It was proceeds from the sale of the game. I have been a game farmer for a number of years. That is an activity that sometimes results in the sale of animals,” he said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen asked Ramaphosa why there was no case number for the Phala Phala theft.
Ramaphosa said the process would unfold. In the end the police general would be able to answer that question.
He said as soon as his farm manager informed him about the theft, he informed Major-General Wally Rhoode, the head of his protection services, while travelling to Addis Ababa.
Steenhuisen said there was a conflict of interest to report the crime to the head of Ramaphosa’s protection services.
Ramaphosa said there was no conflict of interest, adding that the police were looking into it.
“I honestly believe this is not a situation where I have exposed myself to a conflict of interest,” he replied.
EFF leader Julius Malema wanted to know which procedure Ramaphosa used by reporting the crime to Rhoode, adding that Ramaphosa must admit that he abused his power.
“What made you think you are so special that you can report a crime to a general? You see yourself above the law, and that is why you report crimes to a general, not a charge office.”
Ramaphosa denied that he abused his power.
“I do not believe I abused my power, because I am surrounded by police officials. When I informed the general, I was informing a police official. I want to dispute that I abused my power,” Ramaphosa said.
He told Parliament that he had made his disclosures about the foreign currency in respect of the Phala Phala investigation.
In June, the former head of the South African State Security Agency, Arthur Fraser, opened a case with the police alleging that $4 million was stolen from Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
He accused Ramaphosa of kidnapping, bribery, money laundering, and of concealing a crime.
The Phala Phala burglary is now being investigated by various arms, including the Hawks, the Reserve Bank and the Public Protector’s Office.
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