Worry over NPA thefts

SERIOUS questions are being asked about the safety of evidence after the laptops of two top prosecutors working on high-level cases were stolen in a daring break-in at the offices of the Gauteng North Director of Public Prosecutions on Sunday night.

The names of the prosecutors are known to The Star, but National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku didn’t want to divulge them for safety reasons. He also didn’t want to disclose any information on the cases they were working on.

He did, however, confirm the breakin at the NPA’s office on Church Square. He said the offices on the second floor of the building were broken into and two laptops were stolen.

The police confirmed that they were investigating the matter.

While it is not clear how the thieves got into the building, it was confirmed that they broke the glass panels above the doors to the offices and gained entry.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has vowed to ensure the culprits are apprehended.

The break-in comes in the wake of this year’s earlier mysterious burglaries at the Office of the Chief Justice.

The thieves got away with computers that contained employment information of judges and employees.

Last week, the offices of the Hawks in Pretoria were burgled, and financial and human resources records were stolen.

The DA, meanwhile, said it would picket outside the NPA’s office following the break-in at the Gauteng NDPP’s offices yesterday.

DA spokesperson on the police Zakhele Mbhele and justice spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach will lead a picket.

The DA will also use the opportunity to follow up on criminal charges laid by it against high-level government officials over the past 10 months.

“We will also seek an update on whether the NPA has started any prosecutions as a result of these cases.

“The people of South Africa need to be brought up to speed on what is being done by the SAPS in light of the crisis of the break-in at the NPA offices in Pretoria, as well as other high-level break-ins such as last week’s break-in at the Hawks head office,” it said.