De Lille to sue businessman for R1m over bribery claims

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has instructed her lawyers to pursue a defamation case against businessman Anthony Faul and sue him for R1m.

De Lille said on Sunday that she was informed by the Hawks that the senior public prosecutor had decided not to prosecute her for alleged bribery‚ based on allegations by Faul‚ for lack of evidence.

She said the case related to allegations made by Faul in February.

Faul alleged in an affidavit to the DA that De Lille had solicited a R5m payment from him in return for her endorsing an automatic fire extinguisher which he intended rolling out to Cape Town informal settlements in 2013.

In the affidavit‚ Faul said when he refused to pay‚ the endorsement was allegedly withdrawn.

De Lille said in February this year‚ DA federal chair James Selfe confirmed that the party had approached the police with an affidavit it had received from Faul.

“I rejected these ludicrous allegations from the outset when they appeared out of thin air in February this year. This was at the height of the time when the DA was trying everything to remove me at all costs by throwing all sorts of allegations against me‚” De Lille said at a media briefing on Sunday.

She said to date‚ she had not been found guilty of anything she had been accused of.

“I have always said the truth will survive and that I am not afraid to subject myself to any due process to properly test the allegations against me‚ open to the public and to the media.”

She said the bribery allegations dated back to events more than five years ago when Faul negotiated with the Cape Town’s safety and security disaster risk management department for the fire extinguishers to be used in the city’s informal settlements.

She said the allegations by Faul were patently false and were a vicious attack on her good name and reputation.

“As such they were defamatory in the extreme and I have instructed my lawyers to pursue a defamation case against him for R1m.”

De Lille said at the time the allegations surfaced‚ she had stated that it was a grand plot to remove her.

“I am relieved that justice has prevailed and that I have once again been vindicated. It is proof of the vicious witch hunt which unfolded over the past year to get rid of me.”

She said she had taken an enormous amount of abuse and all the allegations which were spread by the DA had caused her great reputational harm.

De Lille said the action she intended to take against Faul was part and parcel of clearing her name – which had cost about R600‚000 in lawyers’ fees.

“It was a good investment. Integrity is something you cannot buy‚” De Lille said.