Leon-Abramoff,+threats+from+DA+Lawyers

****MINDE SCHAPIRO & SMITH****
Our Ref : M M SMITH/sw

Your Ref :

Tyger Valley Office Park Building Number 2 Cnr Willie van Schoor & Old Oak Roads Bellville

PO Box 4040 Docex 1 Tyger Valley Tygerberg 7536 South Africa

TEL: 021 918 9000 021 918 9029 (Direct Line) FAX: 021 918 9090 (General) 021 918 9080 (Conveyancing)

e-mail: sandra@mindes.co.za web: www.mindes.co.za


 * Date : 26 January 2006**

FAX : 011 376 1134 JOHANNESBURG
 * African National Congress**

Press Liaison Officer ANC Onica Mashego Branch (Ward 81) JOHANNESBURG
 * Dominic Tweedie**
 * Via e-mail : dominic.tweedie@gmail.com**

FAX : 011 339 4244 JOHANNESBURG
 * The Young Communist League of South Africa**


 * Dear Sirs**


 * __DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE AND MR TONY LEON__**

We act for the Democratic Alliance and its Leader, Mr Tony Leon.

In an undated but very recent press release from the ANC Onica Mashego Branch (Johannesburg Ward 81) headed “//Why does the DA get off scot-free while the ANC is attacked?//”, the Wayne Madsen report from Washington DC dated 21 January 2006 was published, together with certain comments suggesting that there might be at least some truth in the contents of the report. The press release and the report included in it are defamatory of the Democratic Alliance and of Mr Leon, and moreover contain a series of blatant lies concerning Mr Leon.

Mr Leon –


 * has never spent a year in the United States at any stage of his life;
 * has never taught law in the United States;
 * has never met Mr Abramoff;
 * has never had Mr Abramoff work on his behalf or on behalf of the Democratic Alliance;
 * knows of no work Mr Abramoff did on behalf of the Democratic Alliance and/or himself in Washington DC or in New York City, or for that matter anywhere else;
 * denies that Mr Abramoff administered all (or any of) his United States arrangements in the year he is alleged to have spent in the United States, or for that matter at any other time;
 * was always a vehement political opponent of Mr Crystal at Wits University;
 * was never a colleague of Mr Williamson at Wits University;
 * was never bankrolled in his student election campaigns by either Mr Crystal or Mr Williamson; and
 * did not have his fictitious year in the United States financed by Mr Crystal or Mr Williamson.

The list above is certainly not exhaustive and our clients reserve their right to add to the list at a later stage.

The African National Congress’s publication and endorsement of the report were intended to injure the reputation of the Democratic Alliance and Mr Leon.

On 25 January 2006 the Young Communist League of South Africa issued a press release under the title, “//Call for investigation of DA’s Russel Crystal and Tony Leon//”. In it, the allegations in the first press release are repeated and additional defamatory statements are made pertaining to the Democratic Alliance and Mr Leon. This second press release is, likewise, intended to injure our clients’ reputations, and again contains a series of blatant lies.

We express our surprise at the apparent willingness of your organisations to rely on and repeat, unquestioningly, information gleaned from a random internet site.

This letter serves to inform the parties to whom it is addressed –

1. that all our clients’ rights are hereby reserved, including the right to claim damages in respect of the defamation; and

2. that continued publication of the contents of the Wayne Madsen report and the two press releases will aggravate the damages claim.

You are accordingly advised to cease publication immediately.

Yours faithfully

MINDE SCHAPIRO & SMITH
per :


 * cc Client**