PRETORIA - Retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga has slammed suspended MP Fadiel Adams for taking months to provide the commission with his sworn statement.
Adams made a brief appearance before the commission on Tuesday, but his testimony was postponed to 19 August to give evidence leaders and commissioners time to consider his statement.
The commission had been requesting a statement from Adams since 3 October last year, but he only submitted it after 9pm on Monday.
The National Coloured Congress leader blamed the delay on a faulty laptop, telling the commission that the device had caused him to miss critical emails. He said he had instead relied on phone calls and colleagues for updates about his work.
Madlanga, however, rejected the explanation, questioning how Adams could perform his parliamentary duties if he was unable to use his laptop reliably.
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“Parliament can confirm that I have a very problematic laptop. It is either in for repairs or frozen,” Adams said.
The MP confirmed that he became aware of the commission’s emails about three to four months ago.
According to Adams, he had also been under the impression that the commission would send him further questions because his name had repeatedly come up during previous testimony.
“Eventually I realised that I wasn’t going to get a subpoena and that is why I emailed the commission,” he said.
But Madlanga hit back, questioning how Adams could function as a parliamentarian if he could not properly use a laptop.
“It seems to me that you are not taking this commission seriously,” Madlanga said.
“And starting from now and going forward, you should not treat this commission the way you have thus far. Because everything you've said thus far is just totally unbelievable. I do not believe it.
“This should mean that you cannot function at Parliament as a parliamentarian.”
Madlanga said Adams’ explanation also suggested that he was not taking the people he was elected to serve seriously.
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“If for as long as you suggest is the case, you have been using a laptop that you basically cannot use, you are not taking us as a commission seriously,” Madlanga said.
“And I would dare say, you are not even taking the people that you are supposed to serve seriously.
“Starting from now going forward, you must take this commission seriously.”