ID'S PATRICIA DE LILLE LAYS CHARGES AGAINST NGCUKA AND MCCARTHY, SLAMS ZUMA COMMENTS
ID President Patricia de Lille has laid charges against former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA head Bulelani Ngcuka at the Caledon Square Police Station in Cape Town.
The charges are the same as those laid by the ID President against Brigitte Mabandla, the former Minister of Justice. De Lille has also been informed that the investigation into Mabandla is continuing and that ‘they have interviewed the Minister of Justice and others.'
The charges have been laid in terms of Section 32 (1) (b) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, which reads,
"Subject to the Constitution and this act, no organ of state, and no member or employee of an organ of state nor any other person shall improperly interfere with, hinder or obstruct the prosecuting authority or any member thereof in the exercise, carrying our or performance of its, his or her powers, duties and functions."
If Mabandla, Ngcuka and McCarthy are found guilty of the charges against them, they face stiff fines and a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
‘The Independent Democrats has now done what the NPA should have done to begin with and we also want to drive home the point that the issue of interference in the independence of the NPA is a completely separate matter from the substantive evidence against Zuma,' Ms De Lille says.
Meanwhile, the ID Leader has slammed comments by ANC President Jacob Zuma that the corruption charges against him were "political and manipulative" and that "there was never a case against" him.
‘These comments prove one of two things. Either Zuma is completely ignorant of the way the law works, or he is continuing the ANC's arrogant and mischievous misinformation campaign,' Ms De Lille says.
‘Zuma must take note that the truth is that the NPA dropped charges in spite of its assertion a few weeks ago that it had "a winnable case" and also in spite of the Louis Harmse judgement, which stated that "a prosecution is not wrongful merely because it is brought for an improper purpose".'
De Lille says ‘the Independent Democrats has noted' the Durban High Court's decision this morning to confirm the dropping of charges by the NPA against Zuma.
‘However, dropping the charges against Zuma does not represent an acquittal and the evidence that is in possession of the NPA must still be tested in a court of law before Zuma can be found guilty, or not guilty,' De Lille says.
‘Until then the huge cloud of suspicion hanging over Jacob Zuma's head will continue to grow.'
Statement issued by the Independent Democrat leader, Patricia de Lille, April 7 2009
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