Zondo dismisses Arthur Fraser's bid to cross-examine state capture witnesses
Chairperson of the commission of inquiry into state capture Raymond Zondo has dismissed Arthur Fraser's application for leave to cross examine a handful of the commission's witnesses.
This after the former director-general of the State Security Agency accused the commission of failing to give him a chance to defend himself against witnesses who had implicated him in their testimony.
Fraser wanted to come before the commission to refute claims he abused his power at the intelligence agency, approved the irregular use of funds and claims of at least R125 million unaccounted for under his watch.
In his application, the former spy boss claimed he did not have access to the agency's documents that were pertinent in the matter.
But on Wednesday, Zondo slammed Fraser for failing to follow through with an agreement between himself and the agency to access the classified documents.
Zondo added Fraser had also failed to comply with the regulations for an application of this nature.
"The rules require that an applicant for leave to cross examine a witness is required to furnish the commission with his full version or account of events that he is implicated in.
"The applicant has not complied with the rules in relation to identifying in the affidavits of the witnesses exactly the paragraphs he disputes, which implicate him and what his version is with regard to that."
Fraser wanted to cross-examine include Mo Shaik, Gibson Njenje, and Jeff Maqetuka.
"In those circumstances I can see no reason why it is in the interest of the work of the commission to grant the applicant leave to cross-examine any of these witnesses in the circumstance that I have set out in relation to non-compliance of the rules of the commission and, there not being any explanation as to why having said that his statement would not be complete without the documents that he asked for from the State Security Agency and the commission, having given him time to secure such documents and the State Security Agency having undertaking him such documents, why he has not pursued that and why he is no longer seeking to place those before the commission," Zondo explained.
"In all of these circumstances, I have concluded that the applicant's application stands to be dismissed and it is so dismissed," he added.
Listen to Zondo below:
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