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On Thursday, South Africa’s prosecuting authority declared it would not follow through with a complaint of money laundering and corruption against President Cyril Ramaphosa, related to the 2020 theft of US dollars from his farmhouse.
A former intelligence head filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa after the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm in northeastern Limpopo, accusing him of irregularities in his efforts to cover up the theft of $4 million in cash.
The Limpopo prosecutor opted not to prosecute anyone after the Hawks, a specialized police unit, completed their investigation, citing in a statement that “there is no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction based on the evidence provided.”
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The statement said the complaint alleged Ramaphosa’s involvement in money laundering and corruption related to the theft, with the Hawks also investigating possible breaches of income tax and foreign exchange control rules.
Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, told Newzroom Afrika that over 150 statements were obtained during the investigation, yet the prosecutor found that “the evidence provided cannot substantiate any charges.”
The complaint against Ramaphosa was laid by Arthur Fraser, who had headed the state security agency between 2016 and 2018.
He claimed that Ramaphosa hid the $4-million robbery from police and tax authorities and instead organised the kidnapping and questioning of the robbers to then bribe them into silence.
The president has acknowledged a burglary but denied kidnapping and bribery, saying he reported the break-in to the police.
He has also disputed the amount of money involved and said it came from legitimate sales of game from his animal-breeding farm.
