JOHANNESBURG. The arch enemy number one to South Africa´s massive arms deal, Terry Crawford-Browne, sues Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to the tune of ZAR 25 million in punitive damages.
Manuel lodged a petition for the sequestration of Crawford-Browne´s wife’s property in June on the grounds that he had not paid the state´s ZAR 1 million legal bills.
Crawford-Browne also has petitioned Cape Judge President Jon Hlope to consider criminal charges against the finance minister for fraud, perjury and abuse of powers of public office.
Crawford-Browne´s organization Eccar SA, an international body of economists against arms, lodged an application that was dismissed last year, arguing that foreign loan agreements entered into by Manuel to finance the arms deal should be cancelled.
The dismissal and consequent appeals meant that Eccar owes the state about ZAR 1 million.
But according to Terry Crawford-Browne he is simply harassed by Trevor Manuel, the finance minister. “Citizens such as myself who, at considerable financial and personal cost in furtherance of the public interest and the goals of the constitution, should not be punished or intimidated for exposing malpractices”, said Terry Crawford-Browne to the South African newspaper The Star.
Crawford-Browne also argues that the case is a public interest matter of major importance and he should therefore not need to pay.
Crawford-Browne also requested that the finance minister should reimburse his legal and media expenses, estimated to be ZAR 5 million.
There is no love lost between the two. Manuel has called Terry Crawford-Browne, who has used every trick in the book to try and stop the country´s arms deal, a “useful idiot in the hands of those who failed in their bid to secure contracts”.
Despite many factual flaw´s Terry Crawford-Browne have been proven right a number of times about corrupt practices related to the arms deal. Not least when Jacob Zuma had to step down as Deputy President in June.
Comments are closed.