Hawks raid house of President’s Keepers author, Jacques Pauw

The Hawks are currently carrying out a search and seizure exercise at the Western Cape home of author Jacques Pauw.

Pauw is the author of the best-selling investigative book, The President’s Keepers.

News24 received confirmation from Willem de Klerk, Pauw’s lawyer, that a warrant for the search was obtained and inspected.

“I can confirm that there is a legitimate warrant for search and seizure against Pauw. The warrant relates to supposed secret documents in the possession of the author. Pauw is giving his full co-operation to the police.”

The case against Pauw relates to the docket opened by the State Security Agency (SSA). Pauw was also accused by SARS of sharing classified information in his book.

In an affidavit, SARS commissioner Tom Moyane argues that Pauw revealed taxpayers’ information in his book. This, of course, would be in contravention of the Tax Administration Act.

“Such declaratory orders are imperative in order to give confidence to the public knowing that taxpayer information would not be willy-nilly disclosed by third parties who have no authority to be in possession of such information and to disclose it without consequences,” Moyane said

The book also made serious allegations against the SSA as well as former president Jacob Zuma.

The President’s Keepers alleges that Zuma failed to pay any tax at all in his first five years in office, managing to go a whole presidential term without making any contribution to SARS. The VIP Tax Unit had to beg the President to start paying, fearing that public knowledge of the situation would create a backlash against their organisation.

On top of all that, it alleged that Zuma pocketed a cool R1m per month during his first four months as president. How? Pauw said Zuma was drawing a wage from a private security company.

While the Hawks have confirmed that no arrests would be taking place on Wednesday, nothing has been ruled out in the fiture.