Fadiel Adams challenged to back up claims 'with hard evidence'
Testimony of Member of Parliament (MP) and National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams.
Image: Image: Phando Jikelo /RSA Parliament
While the testimony of National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams included numerous claims, IFP MP Albert Mncwango has pointed out that many of these statements lack substantiation.
Adams still has to return to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, to allow for questioning by MPs.
Adams’ testimony on Thursday saw him hit back against the claim that he was reckless with sensitive information, and against the opinion of Mkhwanazi. Adams said that he did not care about the commissioner’s view of him.
In September last year, Mkhwanazi told the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria that Adams had gained access to crime intelligence intended exclusively for vetted members of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the country’s intelligence services.
Adams is not a member of that committee.
Speaking on the sidelines of the committee, Mncwango said that they called Adams to clarify certain matters raised by Mkhwanazi.
IFP MP Albert Mncwango has said that a lot of what Adams said has not been substantiated.
Image: Phando Jikelo/Independent Newspapers
“At around 11 last night, we decided to stand down, push the meeting to another date, where Mr. Adams will actually be cross-examined by all members of the committee, but looking at his testimony, he's saying a lot of things, and making allegations.
“My concern is that most of the allegations he's actually making are not substantiated. It's difficult for this committee to, to actually sift through information, which is not substantiated,” Mncwango said.
“It’s well and good to say things about people, but it's completely another story to substantiate your assertions and your allegations. So that is where the problem is. But I'm hoping that when we begin to interrogate his evidence, perhaps something more might come up.
“As it is now, I'm just concerned a lot has been said, but it is not helpful if it is not substantiated with hard evidence,” Mncwango said.
“In situations like this, it's important to remember dates because then we will be able to follow the chronology of events. But if there are no dates, we will not know what happened before what, which in turn actually creates a bit of a problem to follow the sequence of events.
“We asked him to please go back and try hard to remember what happened and when, so that we are able to attach a date on whatever he's saying. Other than that, I think what would be important is for him to really try to have hard evidence to back up what he's alleging,” Mncwango said.