2012-09-21 17:03
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Motlanthe defends Malema
2012-09-21 08:35
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has defended expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, saying South Africa’s Bill of Rights guarantees everyone a right to express him or herself without fear or favour.WATCH
Adriaan Basson, Carien du Plessis and Sabelo Ndlangisa, City Press
Johannesburg – Julius Malema’s lawyer confirmed that a warrant for his arrest had been issued.
“We have received confirmation from the authorities that there is an arrest warrant issued for Mr Malema,” Nicqui Galaktiou of Brian Kahn Attorneys told City Press.
She said they had not seen the warrant as yet but were busy discussing his court appearance next week with the authorities. Galaktiou said they were “likely to see the warrant after the weekend only”.
City Press revealed earlier this afternoon that the arrest of the former ANC Youth League president was imminent.
Malema is expected to appear in court in Pretoria or Polokwane next week on charges of money laundering, corruption and fraud.
The case relates to his Ratanang Family Trust and its shareholding in On-Point Engineering, a company that has made millions from Limpopo government tenders.
It was still unclear whether Malema would be jailed before he appears in court. His lawyers previously urged the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks not to arrest him but to tell him when and where to appear in court.
Malema reiterated this week that he would appear in court if charged.
He told City Press he had “not heard anything. I think if there is such a thing, I will be open about it,” he said.
A source close to Malema, however, confirmed that they had heard about it and were waiting for further details. “The law enforcement agencies know his address,” he said.
Malema said if he were charged, he didn’t know what he would be charged with. “So far we don’t know what is the issue, whether it is money laundering, fraud, corruption,” he said.
“I am not the first person to be arrested,” Malema said, adding that this had happened to politicians before and that charges were dropped. This is an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma, who at the time believed there was a political plot to get rid of him through prosecution and corruption charges.
The NPA and Hawks have said they won’t comment on the arrest warrant.
NPA spokesperson Bulelwa Makeka said they don’t respond on arrest warrants and will only comment once an accused has appeared in court.
Read more:
» The story City Press broke in July last year on Malema’s ‘secret fund’
» Source confirms existence of Juju’s family trust and its modus operandi
» Julius Malema: Mister Cash
Read more here:
Malema’s lawyer confirms arrest warrant