“These funds were paid into accounts established for this purpose and were used to cover the costs of the campaign, such as stipends, travelling, communications and promotional material, meeting venues and accommodation. In the process, all legal and regulatory requirements were met,” Chauke said in a statement.
He said there was no basis whatsoever for even a suspicion of money-laundering.
“As the former campaign managers of CR17, we have been assisting the public protector in her investigation and have been available to explain the nature of the campaign’s operations and funding,” Chauke said.
He said it was significant that, in addition to the entirely baseless claims of money-laundering, the amounts referred to in media reports were wholly inaccurate.
“We are concerned that claims of this nature are being drip fed into the public space with the clear intention to damage the reputation of the president and to create uncertainty.”