Gordhan speaks out on 'unacceptable' SARS ‘hostage’ drama
The finance minister says he will approach commissioner Tom Moyane for an explanation, after reports that a lawyer was held hostage
Reports have emerged that a lawyer for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was held "hostage" in what is seen as a last-ditch attempt to shore up a faltering fraud case against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan, speaking in Parliament on Thursday, said he would ask SARS commissioner Tom Moyane for an explanation of what happened at SARS. Gordhan had only heard “whispers” of it and what he had read in the media. “If this is true it is totally unacceptable behaviour,“ Gordhan said. “But let us get the facts first and take it from there.” It was claimed that the SARS lawyer who had written the legal opinion on the early retirement and reappointment of former SARS deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay – which is the basis of the fraud charges – was detained by the Hawks’ lead investigator in the case. The Daily Maverick reported that SARS’s deputy director of law administration‚ Vlok Symington‚ was "locked inside a boardroom" by the Hawks and current SARS commissioner Tom Moyane. ...
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