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Phala Phala: Ramaphosa has until 8 September to respond to Reserve Bank
After being given 21 days to respond with a 15-day extension, SARB received responses from the President's legal advisors.
President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presidency Budget Vote Debate on 10 June 2022, in Cape Town. Picture: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lawyers have until 8 September to provide further information on the unspecified foreign currency stolen during the 2020 Phala Phala farm robbery.
According to Bloomberg, the South African Reserve Bank’s (Sarb) Financial Surveillance Department (FSD), which administers exchange-control regulations, is expected to continue investigations once the responses are received.
Governor Lesetja Kganyago revealed this in a letter to the opposition Democratic Alliance on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Fury as Ramaphosa stays mum on Phala Phala farm saga
The central bank’s FSD initially asked Ramaphosa’s advisers on June 20 for details on the origin of the foreign currency and any transaction it may pertain to, according to Kganyago.
After being given 21 days to respond with a 15-day extension, the department received responses from the advisers to which the request for further information was sent, Kganyago told Bloomberg.
Ramaphosa’s refusal to speak sparks fury
Despite angry badgering from MPs on Tuesday, Ramaphosa stuck to his guns by refusing to answer specific questions on the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm, saying he would let the investigative process be completed before commenting.
ALSO WATCH: Inside Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala’s game farm
The Presidency, however, says it had noted claims stating that Ramaphosa did not actually answer the questions put to him in the National Assembly.
Ramaphosa responded that he stands ready to take the nation into his confidence and that he would do so through the due legal and Parliamentary processes.
Last week, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) revealed they were processing at least 41 statements in the Phala Phala robbery docket. But it’s unclear whether the President’s statement is among these affidavits.
“So far, we have filed 41 statements in the docket. So, I will not deal with the nitty gritty’s of the content whose statement is filed in the docket,” said Hawks National Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.
Compiled by Narissa Subramoney
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel and Brian Sokutu
