South Africa’s Motlanthe urges inquiry into bribery allegations
Pretoria, 13 Mar – (ANA) - South Africa's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has called for an official inquiry into allegations that his partner solicited a $ 13m (£ 8m) bribe. Mr Motlanthe and Gugu Mtshali deny any wrongdoing, his office says.
A local newspaper reported that Ms Mtshali asked for a bribe from a South African company wanting to sell arms to Iran in defiance of UN sanctions.
Critics of President Jacob Zuma have touted Mr Motlanthe to replace him and run for president in 2014 elections. The allegations in the Sunday Times were of such a "serious nature" that the deputy president has written to South Africa's ombudsman, asking Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to investigate, his office says.
"Both Deputy President Motlanthe and Ms Mtshali are firmly of the view that they have committed no wrong doing of any kind in relation to the alleged events described in the Sunday Times story," the statement reads.
When Thabo Mbeki resigned as president in 2008, Mr Motlanthe served as South Africa's caretaker president ahead of the 2009 elections which saw Mr Zuma come to power. He was seen as a safe pair of hands and at times was considered as a potential challenger to Mr Zuma's desire for a second term. (ANA)
FA/ANA/13 March 2012------------