The three-member expert commission, appointed to investigate the situation regarding the Russian ship Lady R, docked in the South African navy base, has not found any proof that armaments were loaded aboard the vessel, the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
"The panel found that there was no evidence to support the claim that the ship transported weapons from South Africa destined for Russia," he emphasized.
The leader said that the commission discovered why the ship docked at Simon's town. As it turns out, it delivered "equipment that had been ordered for the South African National Defence Force in 2018 by Armscor, the country’s arms procurement company".
"In terms of the contract for the supply of the arms, neither Armscor nor the South African National Defence Force had any control over the means through which the supplier of the ordered equipment would transport them to South Africa," Ramaphosa explained.
In addition, the leader highlighted that the panel worked thoroughly on the issue, having talked to almost 50 people involved and having examined over 100 documents on the matter.
"During the course of its work, the panel visited Simon's town naval base and obtained evidence under oath from nearly 50 people in every relevant component of government. More than 100 documents were submitted to the panel for examination," Ramaphosa revealed.
According to the president, many of those, who "claimed to have information on this matter," failed to make submissions to the panel or "said they had no independent knowledge of the relevant facts."
Moreover, the South African leader announced that he decided not to release the panel's report, considering the revelation of certain information dangerous.
"To reveal the details of the equipment offloaded would compromise important military operations and put our soldiers’ lives at risk. Under these circumstances, when lives would be at risk due to the revelation of the type of equipment that is utilized by our armed forces, the need for confidentiality is both necessary and justified," the president stressed.
On May 11, US envoy to South Africa Reuben Brigety claimed that the Russian ship had collected armaments from the Simon’s Town Naval Base in South Africa in December.
However, following an official protest from the South African Foreign Ministry, the ambassador admitted that he crossed the line and apologized, according to the statement of the South Africa's Department of International Relations & Cooperation (DIRCO).
In June, the South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise noted that the allegations are propaganda, adding that the country didn't breach any sanctions when the Lady R vessel docked near Cape Town in December last year.
Despite the resolution of the diplomatic conflict, there is a growing call for the US Ambassador Reuben Brigety to "be expelled or recalled," according to the South African media.