40 accused in South African MPs' fraud case

Andrew Meldrum in Pretoria
Monday January 24, 2005
The Guardian

Forty South African members of parliament, past and present, are to be charged with fraud today in the biggest corruption scandal in the country's post-apartheid history.

The 40 MPs - 27 current and 13 former - will be charged with illegally using parliamentary travel vouchers worth £1.5m to pay for lavish trips for themselves and relatives, according to prosecutors.

The identities of those to be charged have not been revealed but it is known that most are from the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Representatives from two other parties will also be charged.

The ANC says that the charges prove that President Thabo Mbeki's government is tough on corruption.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafrica/story/0,13262,1396902,00.html

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