‘It's a smear campaign’: Limpopo ANC treasurer Danny Msiza denies VBS Bank allegations

18 October 2018 - 12:09 By Qaanitah Hunter
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ANC Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza said there was not a shred of evidence in the report that implicates him.
ANC Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza said there was not a shred of evidence in the report that implicates him.
Image: Antonio Muchave/Sowetan

ANC Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza has responded to a damning report commissioned by the Reserve Bank into VBS Mutual Bank implicating him as the “kingpin” of a scheme that saw almost R2-billion looted from the bank‚ calling it part of a “sustained political smear” against him.

Msiza said in a statement on Thursday that there was not a shred of evidence in the report that implicates him - but he has agreed to cooperate with the ANC’s integrity commission‚ which is investigating him. He has also instructed his lawyers to take the report on legal review.

“Nothing in the final report points to any illicit gain on my part‚” said Msiza. “The only financial transaction I have with the bank is a genuine property bond‚ which I am repaying on a monthly basis.”

The report‚ titled “The Great Bank Heist”‚ by Advocate Terry Motau and law firm Werksmens Attorneys‚ noted that he was the commission agent who ensured municipalities illegally deposited funds into VBS.

“The segment of the report as it relates to me is therefore not puzzling‚ but a logical culmination of a sustained political smear with no shred of empirical evidence of wrongdoing‚” said Msiza.

“My name is being drawn into this sad episode based purely on untested allegations‚ gossip‚ baseless observations and communication by external parties without my knowledge.”

He further insisted that he never instructed municipal officials to deposit money into VBS Bank accounts.

On Monday Msiza was hauled before the ANC’s National Working Committee‚ alongside other provincial leaders‚ where he denied any wrongdoing.

The matter was discussed again on Tuesday at a meeting of the provincial ANC leadership in Polokwane‚ where he agreed to fully cooperate with the integrity committee.

“I have voluntarily decided to submit myself to the authority of the ANC’s integrity commission to investigate these allegations levelled against me by Advocate Terry Motau in his report‚ in order to bring finality to this matter‚” said Msiza.

“I will therefore be approaching the integrity commission through the processes available in the ANC to prioritise this matter and offer full cooperation to this investigation.”

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