The Democratic Alliance is seeking a response from the Financial Intelligence Centre as to whether it is investigating the Guptas as the party has requested.
DA spokesman on finance David Maynier said on Sunday that reports suggesting the Guptas may have purchased a R445-million mansion in Dubai reinforced concerns that the Guptas might have illegally moved assets‚ including large amounts of cash‚ out of South Africa.
Maynier said he had written to the Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre‚ Murray Michell‚ on April 15 requesting him to investigate the allegations surrounding the Guptas. “At that time‚ there was a grave concern that the Guptas had left South Africa and that their money had illegally followed‚ or was about to illegally follow‚ them out of South Africa.”
Replying on April 20 to his request for an investigation on 20 April 2016‚ Maynier said Michell had stated: “The matter you have raised will be considered in terms of the powers and responsibilities of the Financial Intelligence Centre in terms of legislation.”
“The reply was evidently designed to obfuscate rather than illuminate. “Since then I have not been able to confirm whether the Financial Intelligence Centre has launched an investigation into the Guptas‚” said Maynier. “Even the Minister of Finance‚ Pravin Gordhan‚ refused to reply to a direct question on this matter during last week’s National Treasury budget vote debate in Parliament.
“I have‚ therefore‚ submitted a parliamentary question probing whether the Financial Intelligence Centre is conducting an investigation into whether the Guptas illegally moved assets‚ including large amounts of cash‚ out of South Africa‚” Maynier said.
He added that te reply would hopefully end weeks of zig-zagging around the Financial Intelligence Centre and his request for an investigation into the Guptas. “To sit back and do nothing would amount to allowing an accused to flee the crime scene‚ with the proceeds of the crime‚” Maynier added.
< br/>
STAR WARS
AMAZON BANNER
***CREATE THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS YOU NEED IN MINUTES FOR FREE