JOHANNESBURG –The Hawks have confirmed that they are officially investigating claims of corruption, contained in the former Public Protector’s State of Capture report.

This is after the National Prosecuting Authority said there was a real basis for such a probe.

The unit’s spokesperson has told eNCA that a number of investigations into state corruption have nearly been completed.

It would make an announcement on the investigations into the Gupta Leak e-mails in the coming days.

It’s been more than a year since then finance minister Mcebisi Jonas went public with his claims of corruption against the Gupta family and the president’s son Duduzane.

Eight months later, then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released her report on her investigation into alleged state capture.

She asked that law enforcement bodies examine the evidence she’d unearthed, and determine whether there was a basis for criminal investigation and prosecution.

The NPA’S specialised commercial crime prosecutors have now decided that there is indeed a basis for such investigation.

#GuptaLeaks: How Bell Pottinger sought to package SA economic message

“They have looked at those matters. They have identified some issues where they firmly believe a criminal investigation is necessary, hence they engaged the Hawks to say: look at these matters,” said NPA spokesperson, Luvuyo Mfaku.

“As the NPA, after studying the report, we firmly believe that we can investigate some issues of criminality.”

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said they were actively investigating the state capture claims and evidence of government corruption.

“One thing I can tell you now is that we are getting good co-operation. People are coming forward. Those who were a bit reluctant to come forward as well, we have managed to convince them … We don’t want to be seen as an organisation that maybe people will term as “captured’, that doesn’t want to be dealing with serious cases. It’s totally unacceptable, it’s unfair to those who have opened cases ”

Mulaudzi would not comment on whether the Hawks have confirmed that the so-called Gupta emails – which appear to contain significant evidence of state and Gupta family corruption – are genuine.

eNCA