Investigation by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation regarding Allegations of Bribery and Trading in Influence against a certain Person in respect of a certain Group

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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO: 1944 (NW2333E)

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2012 OF 3 AUGUST 2012

Mr D J Maynier (DA) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation:

1. Whether her department has investigated allegations of (a) bribery and (b) trading in influence against a certain person (name furnished) in respect of a certain group (name and details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

2. whether the said person has been suspended; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?         

REPLY:

1. The allegations relating to the person in question are very different from those involving a South African Ambassador who was suspended from duty pending the outcome of an investigation into the latter allegedly accepting an amount of money from a certain group.  South African officials representing the country at meetings of international organisations receive instructions as to how they should vote on specific issues and cannot make such decisions on their own without prior consultation with the Department’s Management, including its political principals.

2. In the circumstances, the person in question has not been suspended.

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