Former spy head threatens to expose presidents, judges, parliamentarians

Former head of the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser has threatened he would be compelled to expose “state secrets” implicating presidents, former and current, judges and parliamentarians when he testifies at the Zondo Commission.

His legal representative Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane told the Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that the downside of this was that Fraser would be accused, once more, of “treason”.

WHO ‘SUBVERTED’ THE STATE?

The upside, however, was that he would blow the cover of people who “subverting” the state.

Sikhakhane told Zondo:

“He [Fraser] would have to complete this to do something he reluctantly does. To tell the chair about things that related to the president, or the presidents of this country, past and present. That relates to the judges. That relates to parliamentarians.”

Sikhakhane told Zondo that he tried to dissuade the former spy boss from testifying as this amounted to treason as he would be deliberately breaking his oath of secrecy.

However, Sikhakhane believed that:

“The former SSA DG was the only implicated person accused of treason.”

FRASER A KNOWN JACOB ZUMA MAN

Fraser, a staunch former president Jacob Zuma was axed as the director-general in 2018 and was deployed as the head of correctional services. 

Also represented by Sikhakhane at the commission on Monday 20 July was the former National Intelligence Agency Director General, Manala Manzini.

Citing the danger of exposing state secrets posed to his clients, Sikhakhane requested indemnity from arrest and criminal prosecution.

‘WE’LL DO IT BECAUSE THEY DID IT‘

“We assume that simply because the other three former leaders (Gibson Njenje, Moe Shaik and Mzuvukile Maqetuka) have testified and laid bare things that relate to security, my clients are indemnified from breaching that oath,”

said Sikakhane.

Sikhakhana told Zondo that Fraser would complete the “picture” of state capture.

According to the Daily Maverick, In November 2019, Gibson Njenje, former head of domestic intelligence, and Mo Shaik, former head of foreign intelligence, offered devastating evidence to the commission that former president Jacob Zuma had, in 2011, personally shut down investigations into the Gupta family as well as into the State Security Agency itself.

FRASER GUILTY OF FRAUD AND CORRUPTION? 

Njenje, the Daily Maverick continued, testified about being tasked in 2009 by then Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, with investigating corruption in the SSA, where Fraser was the DG.

What he found, said Njenje, was fraud and corruption amounting to around R600-million and involving Fraser’s Principal Agent Network (PAN).

But Sikhakhane dismissed all the allegations of fraud and corruption against Fraser.