Corruption Watch not confident in Abrahams-led NPA
17 January 2018
Cape Town - Corruption Watch on Tuesday said it was not confident that "robust and competent" criminal proceedings would be launched against individuals implicated in the "wholesale looting of public resources" while the National Prosecuting Authority is led by Shaun Abrahams.
The NPO said it welcomed the serving of preservation order by the Asset Forfeiture Unit to freeze the assets of McKinsey and Trillian.
"This must naturally be followed by the commencement of criminal proceedings against these two firms as well as against the individual McKinsey, Trillian and Eskom executives and board members implicated," the organisation commented in a statement.
Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis said the development was the tip of the iceberg.
"Most South Africans could identify several cabinet ministers as well as current and former senior executives and board members of Eskom, Transnet, Prasa, McKinsey, SAP, the SABC, MultiChoice and South China Rail - to name but a few - who should be charged criminally. This applies equally to senior executives of SARS," he said.
The AFU’s action showed there was "people of integrity in the leadership of the criminal justice system", but Lewis said it was not confident that robust and competent criminal proceedings will be launched with Abrahams at the helm.
He had "consistently demonstrated that his loyalty lies not with the law but with President Zuma and his cronies," Lewis said.
"At the end of last year, the high court, pursuant to an application filed by Corruption Watch, removed Abrahams from office. The court, mindful of the president’s conflict of interest, empowered the deputy president to appoint a new national director of public prosecutions. We urge him to make this appointment without delay."
