Brown says she testified despite legal warning to avoid state-capture hearing
Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown’s appearance before the parliamentary inquiry into the state capture of state-owned enterprises went against the advice of her legal advisers who had advised her to decline the invitation to give evidence. The minister said in a statement read out to the portfolio committee on public enterprises Wednesday that the legal advice was based on the view that the committee’s process "was unfair, inappropriately accusatorial, and that my appearance would only serve to legitimise a predetermined interim report containing a rehash of untested information designed to embarrass particular positions. "I did not take that legal advice because the constitutional principles that members of the executive should account to Parliament and the people have the right to know are more important than any of us." Brown insisted that her interest was to ensure a fair and just process and noted that no committee member had insisted on this.
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