The South African president allegedly kidnapped and interrogated burglars who had fallen on 3.8 million euros "
hidden
" in one of his properties, before buying their silence, according to a complaint for "
kidnapping
" and "
corruption
" filed Wednesday against the Head of State by a former senior official.
Read alsoThe South African president still affected by a scandal
"
Today I have taken the unprecedented step of pressing charges against His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa
," Cyril Ramaphosa, former South African intelligence chief Arthur Fraser said in a statement. of which the AFP obtained a copy.
"
This complaint stems from the theft of [...] more than 4 million dollars [3.8 million euros, editor's note] hidden
" in a farm belonging to Cyril Ramaphosa in the northeast of the country, adds Arthur Fraser.
In short, Arthur Fraser's statement is sparse with details.
He nevertheless claims that the burglary was committed on February 9, 2020 and that “
the president concealed this crime
” from the police and the tax services, “
and then paid the culprits for their silence
”.
"Supporting Evidence"
Arthur Fraser accuses Cyril Ramaphosa
of "obstructing justice
", and of having organized "
the kidnapping of the suspects, their interrogation on his property and their corruption
".
He says he provided the police with the "
evidence in support
" of his complaint: "
photos, bank accounts, names and videos
".
His lawyer, Me Eric Mabuza, confirmed to AFP that the complaint had been filed at a Johannesburg police station on Wednesday.
After a career in intelligence, Arthur Fraser had taken over as head of the prison services.
Two months after the imprisonment of ex-president Jacob Zuma in July 2021 for contempt of justice, he had taken the decision to release him on parole for medical reasons.
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Cyril Ramaphosa's main political opponent within the ANC, the historic ruling party, Jacob Zuma was forced to resign in 2018 after a series of corruption scandals.
Cyril Ramaphosa has made the fight against this scourge a priority.
But he himself was called to testify before the commission investigating the looting of state coffers during the Zuma era.
The ANC must decide by December whether or not to maintain Cyril Ramaphosa as the 2024 presidential candidate.