JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African investigators raided the home of National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Tuesday as part of a corruption inquiry against her, the parliament said.
The operation by the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate was linked to a probe into alleged corruption during the speaker’s time as defence minister, parliament said in a statement.
South Africa’s state-owned broadcaster SABC reported that Mapisa-Nqakula, who lives in Johannesburg, is suspected of receiving millions of rands in cash as bribes from a former military contractor when she was defence minister.
“The Speaker steadfastly upholds her strong conviction of innocence, and reaffirms that she has nothing to hide,” the parliament said, adding the search at her residence lasted over five hours.
Neither the parliament nor the NPA provided further details on the investigation or the corruption allegations. It was not clear if any charges would be brought against her.
A veteran of the governing African National Congress, Mapisa-Nqakula was South Africa’s defence minister from 2012 to 2021.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya, Editing by Wendell Roelf and Ros Russell)
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