It’s been five months, and the defence department
has failed to hand over documents regarding an investigation into its former
minister’s R11 million bill for chartered flights.
The Democratic Alliance has accused the department
of obstructing the investigation into money spent by Lindiwe Sisulu on
Gulfstream jet flights and Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula needed to
explain why the department had not handed over documents to the
auditor-general, Democratic Alliance spokesperson David Maynier said.
The department was not immediately available for
comment.
In March, Maynier asked the auditor-general, Kimi
Makwetu, to investigate the use of the Gulfstream jets by Sisulu, who is now
human settlements minister.
This included how many flights and ferry flights
she took, and whether each flight complied with the ministerial handbook.
“The department of defence appears to me to be
obstructing the auditor-general’s investigation into the scandal surrounding
Lindiwe Sisulu’s flights on the Gulfstream executive jets,” he said.
Maynier would submit parliamentary questions to
Mapisa-Nqakula to ask why documents had not been handed over, and who was
obstructing the investigation. He would ask what action would be taken against
the person found responsible.
On March 16, The Sunday Times reported that Sisulu
had accused Mapisa-Nqakula of lying about the number of flights she took
between September 2009 and February 2012.
According to letters and documents Sisulu racked up
an R11 million bill for chartered flights on a Gulfstream jet while she was
defence minister, the newspaper reported.
Mapisa-Nqakula, in a written response to Parliament
in October 2012, said Sisulu took 203 flights on the private jet. Sisulu
insisted she took only 35.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Sisulu vowed
to clear her name and confirmed she was considering legal action against her
Cabinet colleague.
“I want that expunged from my records with the
necessary apology and necessary remedy. I will not have it. I’ve worked very
hard for this government and my reputation is not going to be sacrificed on
something silly like that.”
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Lindiwe Sisulu’s R11m flights – DA appeared first on City Press.
