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ActionSA to lay criminal charges against Ramaphosa over Phala Phala scandal claims

IOL Reporter|Published

ActionSA to file criminal charges against Ramaphosa amid Phala Phala revelations.

Image: FILE

A fresh legal storm is set to hit President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, after ActionSA said it would lay criminal charges over new claims linked to the Phala Phala farm scandal.

Spokesperson Mongezi Ntsebenzo said this comes after discrepancies in the amount of money stolen during the February 2020 burglary at the statesman's Limpopo farm.

Ntsebenzo said the real figure was at least R15m — not the previously reported R10m, or about US$580,000, around R8.75m at the time.

ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont, Parliamentary chief whip Lerato Ngobeni, and Limpopo chair Victor Mothemela will open the case at the Bela Bela police station at midday.

"These charges will include a violation of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 for deliberately not disclosing the amount of money which was stolen," the spokesperson said.

"ActionSA will also lay charges of perjury and fraud, for making a false statement on the precise amount of money stolen.

"The political landscape has shifted.

"Phala Phala is back in the spotlight after last week’s Constitutional Court ruling."

As previously reported, the court set aside a 2022 National Assembly vote that had blocked an impeachment inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal.

In its ruling, the court said Parliament acted unconstitutionally and irrationally when it stopped the process, and ordered that an impeachment inquiry be established.

The ruling effectively revived the long-running political and legal saga, placing the matter back before Parliament for further investigation.

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