South Africa: Prosecutors drop charges against South Africa’s Ramaphosa

South Africa’s prosecutor general has said it will not press charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa for money laundering and corruption related to the theft of US dollars from his farm in 2020.

A former spy boss had filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa following the burglary of his Phala Phala game farm in northeastern Limpopo province, alleging the president committed irregularities in his attempt to conceal the theft of $4 million in cash.

Following an investigation by the police’s specialized Hawks unit, the Limpopo prosecutor had “made the decision not to prosecute anyone”, the authority said in a statement.

“She concluded that there is no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution based on the evidence in the docket.”

Multiple accusations

The complaint alleged that Ramaphosa was involved in money laundering and corruption in connection with the theft, the statement said.

The Hawks also investigated possible violations of income tax and exchange control regulations.

More than 150 statements were obtained in the investigation, spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga of the National Prosecution Service told the Newzroom Africa channel.

But the prosecutor concluded that “the available evidence presented to prosecutors cannot support any charges.”

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The complaint against Ramaphosa was filed by Arthur Fraser, who led the state security service between 2016 and 2018.

He alleged that Ramaphosa hid the $4 million heist from police and tax authorities and instead organized the kidnapping and interrogation of the robbers and then silenced them.

The president has acknowledged the burglary but denied kidnapping and bribery and said he had reported it to police.

He has also disputed how much money was involved, saying it came from the legitimate sale of game from his farm.