By Thabo Monyela
POLOKWANE- President Cyril Ramaphosa maintained his innocence after former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against him for money laundering and corruption as he concealed information on the thieving of more than R65m at his game farm in Bela Bela.
While addressing ANC Limpopo delegates during the party’s provincial conference at the Ranch hotel outside Polokwane, Ramaphosa confirmed that his Phala Phala farm in Bela-bela was burgled, however he said the amount stolen was far lesser than $4 million as claimed by Frazer, but didn’t clarify the correct amount which was stolen at his farm on the 9, February 2020 (4 days before the year’s SONA).
” I can assure you the money stolen was from proceeds of buying and selling animals, I have never stolen money from anywhere whether its taxplayers, be it from anyone, my intergrity as a leader will never allow me to do so” Ramaphosa to a cheering crowd.
In an explosive statement to SAPS that TV had seen, the former spy boss Arthur Fraser accuses the country’s president, Presidential Protection unit head major General Wally Rhoode and member of Crime Intelligence for money laundering, defeating the ends of justice, kidnapping of suspects and bribery.
It is revealed that the president concealed the multimillion-dollar heist at his farm from the police and SARS and thereafter paid the involved domestic workers an amount of R150 000 to each to not divulge any information about thieving of more than R64 Million in dollars concealed in his house at the game farm.
The office of the Presidency said, after Ramaphosa was advised of the robbery, he reported the incident to the head of the Presidential Protection Unit of SAPS(Rhoode) for investigation.
Who according to Fraser unlawfully identified the farm’s domestic worker as a prime suspect and further recruited five men to stage the multimillion dollars heist at the farm while the President was out of the country.
He further alleged that Major General Wally Rhoode’s team led to the discovery of the culprits in Cape Town and brought them for interrogation and another one was traced to Namibia.
He says all the suspects were released and given money to keep the robbery to themselves.
