Charges Laid Against National Lotteries Commission for Hiding Payments

Charges were today laid against the National Lotteries Commission’s board and commissioner for failing to disclose the beneficiaries of pro-active grant funding, after the NLC and ANC MPs “fought tooth and nail” to keep the information hidden. The DA also raised the possibility of corruption behind the subterfuge.

The Democratic Alliance’s Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Economic Development, Mat Cuthbert, laid the charges at the Sunnyside police station in Tshwane.

“The DA is committed to ensuring that all funds intended for the most vulnerable members of our society are protected from criminal elements who seek to benefit from these funds at their expense,” it said in a statement.

The DA said that the NLC had acted unlawfully by not releasing its list of beneficiaries for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 financial years, as well as their COVID-19 Relief Fund beneficiaries.

“ANC Members of Parliament and the NLC have fought tooth and nail to keep this information hidden from parliamentary oversight and the Committee Chairperson of Trade, Industry and Competition has failed to present a legal opinion solicited from Parliament’s legal advisor more than a month ago,” the DA said.

“The NLC has dismissed our legal opinion as ‘mischievous and malicious’ but we remain undeterred in proving that they have been hiding alleged corruption behind a misinterpretation of Section 67 of the National Lotteries Act 57 of 1997.”

The DA said it had put together a comprehensive affidavit along with several annexures detailing how the NLC had violated its duty to account to Parliament and the South African public.

Cuthbert said: “We look forward to the outcome of the SAPS investigation and pledge to cooperate and assist in any way we can to ensure that justice is served.”