Vytjie Mentor: Hawks told me to remove Zuma’s name from my statement

Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor says a Hawks officer pressured her into removing former president Jacob Zuma’s name from her criminal complaint against the Gupta family.

She claimed she agreed to do so‚ in the hope that it would result in her case actually being investigated.

According to Mentor‚ Hawks official Alois Mtolo told her “that the matter is not going to proceed unless I remove President Zuma from my statement”.

She said he previously told her “that I have complained about President Zuma and I have tied their hands”.

“He had problems with where I said there is a corrupt relationship between the Guptas‚ the president and his son.”

The Zondo Inquiry into state capture was provided with a copy of Mentor’s typed statement‚ which showed that Zuma’s name had been “struck through”.

Mentor’s claims follow evidence by former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas‚ who last week testified that Hawks major-general Zinhle Mnonopi tried to kill the criminal investigation of his bribe claims against the Guptas.

He said Mnonopi wanted him to sign a statement confirming that he had nothing to say about these allegations.

The Hawks last week released a statement expressing “serious concerns” about Jonas’ claims.

Both Mnonopi and Mtolo have applied to cross-examine Jonas and Mentor about their testimony. Zondo has requested that they provide him with a more detailed account of their side of their story.

PODCAST: Sunday Times Politics Weekly

READ MORE: