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Message to the Senate Transmitting the South Africa-United States Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty

July 13, 2000

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of South Africa on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at Washington on September 16, 1999. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.

The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance treaties being negotiated by the United States in order to counter criminal activities more effectively. Together with the Extradition Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of South Africa, also signed September 16, 1999, this Treaty will, upon entry into force, provide an effective tool to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of offenses, including terrorism, organized crime, drug-trafficking offenses, and other violent crimes as well as money laundering, and other white collar crimes of particular interest to the U.S. law enforcement community. The Treaty is self-executing.

The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters. Mutual assistance available under the Treaty includes taking the testimony or statements of persons; providing documents, records and articles of evidence; locating or identifying persons; serving documents; transferring persons in custody for testimony or other purposes; executing requests for searches and seizures; assisting in proceedings related to restraint or immobilization and confiscation or forfeiture of assets or property, compensation or restitution, and recovery or collection of fines; and any other form of assistance not prohibited by the laws of the Requested State.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

The White House, July 13, 2000.

William J. Clinton, Message to the Senate Transmitting the South Africa-United States Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/229502

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