Jonas failed to comply with Hawks - Matakata
The deputy head of the Hawks, Lieutenant General Yolisa Matakata, has told the state capture commission how former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas refused to comply with the unit's Gupta investigation.
Matakata took to the witness stand at the inquiry on Tuesday.
She told the commission about a meeting she had with former Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza and Major General Zintle Mnonopi, who was tasked with investigating the Guptas.
Complaints were laid by MPs David Maynier (DA) and Dennis Bloem (Cope) after Jonas revealed the alleged R600 million bribe by a Gupta brother.
Matakata said Mnonopi had raised concerns with Ntlemeza that she had been trying to get hold of Jonas to get his statement, and asked Ntlemeza to intervene.
"On being informed by that Ntlemeza immediately called the deputy minister who immediately responded the call. He indicated to him that General Mnonopi, who had been assigned to this matter, is really looking for him and raising concerns that she had been trying to get hold of him to depose to an affidavit.
"The deputy minister asked: ‘What do you want from me as the Hawks? Because I am a not a witness, I am not a complainant, I didn't open a case’”.
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Matakata says Jonas agreed to meet with Mnonopi.
When asked by evidence leader Advocate Thandi Norman whether the meeting ever happened, she responded: "It never took place, chair.”
Matakata also said the Hawks had gone as far as writing to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete asking for an intervention in the matter.
She signed a letter on behalf of Ntlemeza.
The letter asked Mbete to intervene as the Hawks were unable to get a statement from Jonas.
Matakata's testimony contradicts Jonas's from August 2018.
Jonas told the commission that the Hawks were reluctant to investigate his claims and that the Hawks had tried to "kill" the case.