ANC urges Gordhan to cooperate with summons
The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday said it noted the announcement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to summons Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Oupa Magashula and Ivan Pillay to appear in court on fraud charges in relation to the investigation at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
The NPA this morning confirmed Gordhan's summons as well as those of former SARS Commissioner Oupa Magashula and former Deputy Commissioner Ivan Pillay at a press briefing in Pretoria in connection with the pay-out relating to Pillay's early retirement.
"This investigation and related, untested and mischievous 'conspiracy theories' has had a detrimental effect on the South African economy and we trust that today's announcement will move us a step closer to uncovering the truth from facts and bring this matter to finality," the ANC said in a statement.
The ANC urged Gordhan, Pillay and Magashula to cooperate with the NPA in order to bring this matter to finality as soon as possible.
"The presumption of innocence until proven guilty remains a sacrosanct principle of our law and the ANC has full confidence in our judiciary to act as final arbiters in these matters," it said.
The ruling party also called on interested parties to desist against public commentary, which would 'undermine due process or create further confusion'.