"Yes‚ I can confirm that the jet was removed from the air force base on Thursday‚" spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said.
"The information I have is that it was taken to OR Tambo International Airport‚ the commercial airport," he said.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula ordered that the jet be removed and further called for an investigation into why the air force was approached with a request to use the base or why the request was granted.
She was informed via media reports on the clearance given to the aircraft during her visit to Ethiopia. When she returned on Wednesday (1 May) she asked for an urgent briefing from the SANDF. She said the international relations and co-operation department agreed to the Indian High Commission's request for the use of the base.
"The SA Air Force therefore dealt with the request as a normal process that has always been applied when [the department] makes such a determination and direction." Initially‚ a Gupta representative approached the defence department for help with the Indian High Commissioner's request for use of the base.
"This request for assistance was rejected‚ and since it was not formalised‚ the ministry considered the matter closed. It had been our advice that the Airports Company SA was best placed to assist." She said that against expectations attempts were then made to secure the use of the base through diplomatic channels at the international relations department.
"The office of the chief of state protocol dealt with the commissioner's request without consulting the chiefs of SANDF or air force‚ or the defence ministry‚" Mapisa-Nqakula said.
"The ministry of defence and military veterans would never have approved such a request." On Thursday (3 May)‚ the international relations department said Chief of State Protocol‚ ambassador Bruce Koloane‚ was placed on suspension while an investigation into the landing approval was underway.
The Gupta family‚ which owns The New Age newspaper and the Sahara computer group‚ is celebrating, at Sun City in the North West, the wedding of Vega Gupta to Aakash Jahajgarhia.
Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge
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