DA lays criminal charges against Police Minister Mchunu

CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has officially laid criminal charges against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, arguing he committed fraud by lying to Parliament.

The DA joins the official opposition, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which has also taken the legal route by opening a criminal case against Mchunu, as well as deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.

The DA said it won’t stand by and watch ministers lie to Parliament, an institution tasked with holding the executive to account.

The DA returned to the Caledon Police Station in central Cape Town to lay criminal charges against Mchunu, just nine days after laying similar charges against Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane in a separate matter.

The party said Mchunu clearly misled Parliament in March when he told the Police Committee that he did not know businessman Brown Mogotsi.

According to KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Mogotsi allegedly influenced police investigations.

On Wednesday, Mchunu backtracked on his earlier denial, saying he actually knows Mogotsi.

DA deputy chief whip, Bax Nodada, said this admission is a clear violation of the law.

"So that means he deliberately lied to members of Parliament, which breaks Section 27 of the Powers and Privileges Act, which means that he deliberately misled Parliament for trying to hold him accountable."

Nodada said in addition to the criminal complaint and a parliamentary inquiry into Mchunu, the party has also approached Parliament’s ethics committee to conduct its own investigation.

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