Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests has dismissed as bogus the DA Leader John Steenhuisen’s claims that EFF boss Julius Malema benefitted from the looting of the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
Malema was informed of this decision in a letter by the Committee sent to him on Monday, which the Sunday World has seen.
The Committee found that there was no evidence that a single cent of VBS money landed in any bank account under Malema’s name.
Steenhuisen’s complaint was therefore thrown into the bin for lacking conclusive evidence that back it up.
The fingering of Malema followed the release of Advocate Terry Motau’s report into widespread looting that led to the bank folding with hundreds of millions missing.
Despite the report implicating only EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu’s brother Brian, some media houses alleged that some of the money had made its way to Malema and his deputy in the red berets brigade top brass. But the Committee found that Malema’s hands were clean.
“The Committee obtained a Report from the Liquidator in the VBS Liquidation matter. In terms of the Report no money was identified as being transferred into a bank account held by you,” the Committee wrote to Malema.
“The Report indicates that an amount of R4 803 180.00 was transferred from an account of Sgameka Projects Pty Ltd to an ABSA bank account of Mahuna Investments.
“The investigation by the Committee in respect of the allegation that you received money from Mahuna, is therefore inconclusive.”
The findings in Malema’s favour will be a bitter pill to swallow for the DA which has declared the EFF as biggest enemy towards next year’s national and provincial elections.
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