Publication: The Mercury Issued: Date: 2005-11-11 Reporter: Jeremy Gordin Reporter: Nalisha Kalideen Reporter: Alide Dasnois

French Arms Company Silent

 

Publication 

The Mercury
Date 2005-11-11

Reporter

 Jeremy Gordin, Nalisha Kalideen,
Alide Dasnois

Web Link

www.themercury.co.za

 

Zuma's 'co-accused' (sic) goes (sic) *1 to ground

Jacob Zuma's co-accused, the French arms company Thales *2, has gone to ground. After the appearance on the indictment of its two local subsidiaries alongside the former deputy president, local director Pierre Moynot flew to France on Tuesday *3 with his local legal representatives and has refused to talk about the corruption charges his companies are now facing. It is not clear when he will return. *4

In terms of summonses served on Thint Holding (Southern Africa) Pty Ltd and Thint (Pty) Ltd, the two companies need not appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court tomorrow, as must Zuma. The Thint companies, represented by Moynot, need only appear in the high court on July 31. Moynot is at present closeted at the Thales head office in Paris and - contrary to his previous behaviour of openly discussing the "Shaik/Zuma issue" - is not returning calls.

The only statement Moynot has made recently was to the French newspaper Le Monde, in which he said: "There are no new facts, and I do not understand why we are being charged again. I think this is purely a political matter". "Mr Zuma never asked for anything at all from Thales and we have never paid him anything at all," Moynot added. Moynot was referring to the deal made, before the Shaik case, between his legal representatives and former minister of justice Penuell Maduna and former Scorpions chief Bulelani Ngcuka, in terms of which Thint was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for an affidavit from former Thint director Alain Thetard.

All approaches to the R80 billion-a-year-group, in which the French state has a 31% share, are being met with silence. Just weeks ago, senior Thales employees were assured by their management that the group was in no danger of being charged after the deal concluded before the trial of Shaik, who was Zuma's financial adviser. Shaik was subsequently found guilty on charges of corruption and fraud.

Thales's communications department has refused to comment on the charges or to release any information at all on Thetard, the shadowy figure at the centre of the story.

Thetard is believed to be the author of the "encrypted fax" *5 that allegedly outlined details of a proposed bribe for Zuma in return for his help with the difficulties Thint and Shaik were facing in the arms deal investigation. It was alleged during Shaik's trial that Thetard had been complicit in an agreement to obtain Zuma's assistance in protecting Thint (then known as Thomson) in the investigation of the bidding process for the munitions suites of the corvettes.

During Shaik's trial his counsel had argued that the fax needed to be regarded with "caution and suspicion" because Thetard was a demonstrably untruthful and dishonest person. It was pointed out that he had given four different explanations for the existence of the fax.

In the Shaik judgment, Judge Hilary Squires said: "We have no doubt at the end of it all that this document reports the conclusion of an agreement reached by Shaik and Thetard that Thomson (Thint) would pay Jacob Zuma R500 000 a year . . . to secure . . . two benefits for Thomson (Thint), namely that he would provide a present protection from the corvette acquisition investigation and hereafter help in securing government contracts in the future."

Squires also noted that Thetard would have been an accused in Shaik's trial if he had not left the country and refused to return. Thetard now works in the Thales headquarters in Neuilly, in Paris. *6

Judicial sources in Paris, where the arms group is under investigation in other corruption cases, say Thetard's name has come up in other investigations *7. Asked about Thetard some months ago, a senior Thales official replied: "After the South African business, Thetard was put away, as we say in French, in the cupboard *8."

With acknowledgements to Jeremy Gordin, Nalisha Kalideen, Alide Dasnois and The Mercury.


*1  Zuma's co-accused go to ground (they [Two Thints] have been accused [indicted] and there are two of them).

I'm sure Karen Bliksem would recommend some English re-education lessons.

*2  The French arms company Thales is not co-accused, unfortunately.

The two South African companies, Thint Holding (Southern Africa) (Pty) Ltd and Thint (Pty) Ltd, are the co-accused.

*3  After returning from France on Monday.

*4 If ever.

*5  Thetard is known beyond a reasonable doubt to be the author of the "encrypted fax".

*6  This amply proves that this was not a personal frolic of the individual, but his orchestration of a dastardly deed by the fourth biggest defence company in the world and probably the biggest corporate briber and corrupter in the world.

*7  Like Taiwan.

*8  Get him out of the cupboard so that SSI du Plooy can get him into the dock so that the judge can decide whether or not to make him a co-habitant with Accused No. 1 in a previous matter.

Great article.