Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Eastern Cape Hawks are on the hunt for Phadima Fukula, who faces charges of perjury, and have urged media houses and the public to help them find him.
Fukula, 31, allegedly made false corruption allegations against Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. He is reported to have falsely accused Mabuyane of bribing Zondo, the chair of the inquiry into state capture.
He must appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court to answer perjury charges on 29 August or face arrest.
The Hawks warned on Thursday that they will seek a warrant of arrest against Fukula after he “ignored” numerous summonses to meet with the investigating unit.
The Hawks, also known as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, said they had noted with concern Fukula’s antics, which included engaging the media while there was a public notice for him to meet them.
Fukula is in hot water after he opened two corruption cases against Mabuyane and Zondo with the Hawks in March 2021.
According to Fukula, he was working as an ANC branch activist in East London and in July 2017 he received an instruction from Mabuyane to meet him and deliver money to Rustenburg in the North West.
Fukula alleged that Zondo accepted a R5 million bribe from Mabuyane, allegedly to pardon him from the state capture inquiry.
After the Hawks uncovered conflicting evidence in Fukula’s statements, they sought him but he’d disappeared without a trace.
Mabuyane opened a case of crimen injuria against Fukula.
The Hawks investigated the cases concurrently to ascertain their veracity.
After a lengthy search, the Hawks found Fukula in Johannesburg on 15 February 2022 and took him to the East London Magistrate’s Court.
But the court released him because the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had not yet taken a decision on whether to prosecute him.
On 11 July, the Director of Public Prosecutions finally decided to prosecute Fukula, but the Hawks could not locate him to serve him with a summons to appear before the court on 29 August.
On Thursday, the Hawks said:
In the statement, the crime busting unit added: “This serves as a warning that should he fail to avail himself in court on 29 August 2023, a warrant of arrest will be applied for and executed accordingly upon issue.”
The Hawks said the investigating officer Lt-Col Thembela Mtyobile can be contacted on 071 481 2421 for any information on Fukula’s whereabouts in this regard.
The investigating unit said its provincial head Major-General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya continues to appeal to the public as well as media houses for help in locating Fukula.
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