“Some are making allegations about me and the money. I want to assure you that it was all money from selling animals. I never stole money from anywhere. Be it from our taxpayers, from anyone. I have Never did this and never will.’
His words were greeted with applause.
The allegation comes in a scathing statement released last week by former spy chief Arthur Fraser, which has enraged South Africa and exposed rifts in the ANC.
Fraser said he has filed criminal charges against Ramaphosa, claiming that there is evidence of “photographs, bank accounts, video footage and names” related to multiple claims of wrongdoing, including kidnapping and bribery of suspects.
He has not publicly released any evidence he has.
In a publicly released statement, a police spokesman confirmed that a case of money laundering, defeating the end of justice, and kidnapping was registered at the Rosebanks police station in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon. The spokesperson said that due process would be followed.
Responding to allegations of crimes and a cover-up, the President’s Office issued a statement acknowledging that the theft had occurred from Ramaphosa’s farm, saying that he “was not involved in any criminal conduct and once again no police investigation.” promises its full cooperation with According to his spokesman, the president was out of the country at the time of the theft.
According to Fraser, the charges relate to the theft of more than $4 million hidden at Ramaphosa’s farm in the northern province of Limpopo, where the president was involved in a lucrative and legal big game business for years. Ramaphosa is disputing that amount.
Fraser alleges that the theft occurred in collusion with a domestic worker and claims the theft was concealed from the police and the Revenue Service. He says that Ramaphosa paid the convicts for their silence.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance says it will write a letter to the tax revenue authority on tax compliance with clear cash sales of wildlife. At this stage, no evidence has been released which indicates tax evasion.
“The President is facing a crisis of credibility and cannot hide behind a procedural smokescreen, and subsequent cover-up, to avoid presenting South Africans with the full truth about the money stolen from his farm.” Democratic leader John Steinhausen Alliance said in a statement released on Monday.
In September last year, as the then National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Fraser was widely criticized for granting Zuma parole for medical reasons.
Ramaphosa has made fighting corruption the focus of his presidency. But that fight has exposed deep cracks within the ANC.
Last week, the Presidency released an image showing a threat it said had been sent to a senior government member demanding that the president not proceed on the findings of the Anti-Corruption Commission and arrested for the murder of a department. Call for the release of suspects. health informant. A single bullet is visible with the letter in the photo.
Ramaphosa is facing an alternative ANC convention in December. The president’s office said it would not comment further on allegations of concealment of the theft and said due process should be allowed to take its course.