Manuel: Stop pressure over fraud

Cape Town - Opposition parties should stop pressuring for the release of names of those accused of corruption at the Land Bank, Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel said in the National Assembly on Thursday.

Manuel said that it was not fair for parties to pressure the bank's new boss, Phakamini Hadebe.

"As people are charged their names will be a matter of public record. Don't ask him to be prosecutor and judge in this matter."

A criminal investigation is currently taking place into the misappropriation of some R2bn at the bank, which finances emerging farmers.

Auditors blew the whistle on widespread wrongdoing at the bank two years ago, but so far nobody has been charged.

The finance ministry has given the bank R3.5bn in credit guarantees.

Four forensic investigations into irregularities at the bank are underway - including a probe into the alleged transfer of millions from the bank to black economic empowerment companies.

These have dragged on, partly because of the demise of the Scorpions and the transfer of two investigations to the new anti-corruption unit, the Hawks.

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Narend Singh called for transparency in the investigation.

"The South African tax payers need to know that their interests are being looked after and that corruption is not tolerated," he said in the House.

"They need to know the names of the people who abused their money and the actions that are being taken against them."

A row broke out between the Democratic Alliance and the finance ministry in July when the opposition party accused Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene of refusing to name Land Bank fraud suspects to spare the ANC embarrassment.

According to a press report last month one of the suspects was a former Gauteng politician.

- Sapa