April 15, 2007, 12:30
The Democratic Alliance (DA) today threatened to take Ngconde Balfour, the correctional services minister, to court to get him to release the parole conditions of Tony Yengeni, the former ANC chief whip.
James Selfe, the DA spokesperson on correctional services, said the party had filed an internal appeal requesting information on Yengeni's parole conditions after its initial application turned was down by the correctional services department. "If the appeal is denied then we are ready to take this matter to court where the ruling will be in our favour."
The DA's application through the Promotion of Access to Information Act was declined by the department, which told the DA its request for the records was too wide, said the DA. "I will not address myself to one offender when I have so many offenders in the country," Balfour told the DA, said the party.
Selfe said the party believed that Yengeni's parole conditions were lighter then those of other offenders with the same conditions.
Yengeni was convicted in 2003 of defrauding Parliament by failing to disclose a 47% discount on a Mercedes-Benz 4x4. He failed to win an appeal against his four-year-sentence and was jailed until January when he was released after serving four months. - Sapa
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