President Cyril Ramaphosa says he cannot comment yet on the preliminary report by the Public Protector’s Office which cleared him of any wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 robbery at his Phala Phala farm.
This after acting Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, found that there is no basis to conclude that Ramaphosa contravened the Executive Ethics code, however, she’s made adverse findings against the police for their handling of the matter.
Ramaphosa was also accused of abusing his power when he informed his security detail of the incident.
In the leaked preliminary report, Gcaleka says she could not find any evidence to conclude that Ramaphosa’s deployment of the Presidential Protection Services at his private residence amounts to an abuse of SAPS resources.
Ramaphosa says they will await the final report, “I have noted the report and that’s all I can say. In terms of the Public Protectors rules, once a preliminary report has issues, the less said the better because she still has to issue a final report.”
Public Protector prelim report clears President Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in Phala Phala saga
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the preliminary findings were an attempt on the Acting Public Protector’s part to scapegoat the President’s employees.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo says that the report explains why Gcaleka took time to release it.
“She has fallen, maybe deliberately into a trap of scapegoating Cyril Ramaphosa’s employees for the crimes he’s committed- and that is what Ramaphosa does. The money which was handed over at Phala Phala farm was handed over to his employees – so that he can have palpable deniable plausibility of having been part and parcel of money laundering, and keeping illicit financial money.”
Thambo adds: “The money was put in mattresses and sofas by his employees so he can be able to deny it. He sent Bejani Chauke, to see the President of Namibia Geingob and try to negotiate the apprehension of those suspects because he doesn’t want his hands to be dirty. So, that’s how he operates, and to exempt him from the criminal activities of his underlings and those under his employ.”
EFF reacts to report clearing Ramaphosa on Phala Phala issue:
