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She said the charges against her client were unknown. We do not know what the charges are and we don’t have a copy of the warrant.”
Malema is expected to face charges of money laundering, corruption and fraud, according to City Press.
The newspaper said the case relates to his Ratanang Family Trust and its shareholding in On-Point Engineer-ing, a company that has made millions from Limpopo government tenders.
It was still unclear whether Malema would be jailed before he appears in court. His lawyers previously urged the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks not to arrest him but to tell him when and where to appear in court.
Malema reiterated this week that he would appear in court if charged.
He said he had “not heard anything. I think if there is such a thing, I will be open about it”, he said.
A source close to Malema, however, confirmed that they had heard about it and were waiting for further details. “The law enforcement agencies know his address,” he said.
Malema said if he were charged, he didn’t know what he would be charged with. “So far we don’t know what is the issue, whether it is money laundering, fraud, corruption,” he said.
“I am not the first person to be arrested,” Malema said, adding that this had happened to politicians before and that charges were dropped. This is an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma, who at the time believed there was a political plot to get rid of him through prosecution and corruption charges.
On Tuesday, Malema told reporters in Johannesburg if he was arrested, it would be done illegally.
“If we are illegally arrested tomorrow, we would have been arrested by (President) Jacob Zuma,” Malema said at the time.
He said he was willing and ready to go to jail, and was not intimidated.
“I have nothing to hide . . I only have my convictions. Nothing will stop me from fighting for economic freedom, not even my death . . . We are unshaken.”
Malema said he had it “on good authority” that there were instructions “to get rid of some us . . .”
At the time, presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said: “The presidency is aware that this person is prone to making wildly unsubstantiated and unwarranted claims and statements, and we do not wish to dignify them.”
The NPA and Hawks have said they won’t comment on the arrest warrant.
The NPA said the SA Police Service had applied for a warrant.
“I’m not aware of that. SAPS applied for that warrant, so they are in a better place to comment on that,” said spokesperson Vuyisile Calaza.
“At this stage, we know nothing about the warrant or his arrest. No docket has been brought to us.” — City Press-Sapa
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter