KZN senior magistrate threatens legal action, denies misconduct allegations
KWAZULU-NATAL senior magistrate Ashin Singh, who has been provisionally suspended pending confirmation by Parliament, has threatened to take his fight to the Equality Court over an affidavit that is being used to discipline him.
Singh also wants the affidavit that allegedly implicated him of misconduct to be furnished to Parliament for consideration when his provisional suspension is confirmed or not.
This comes after Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula notifying her of Singh’s suspension on recommendation of the Magistrates Commission after it received a number of complaints against him.
In his letter, Lamola said Singh was served with a charge sheet containing four counts.
This was after he allegedly sent inappropriate, concerning and threatening messages to journalists in July last year.
This followed the publication of a story with a headline calling on the Magistrates Commission to probe KZN murky immersion in spying and politics. Lamola added that Singh had under oath stated that in December 2016 he arrived at a meeting attended at a hotel with individuals who were members of Crime Intelligence and an informant while he did not attend such a meeting, and that he had or has a close relationship with Crime Intelligence officials.
He said Singh was afforded an opportunity by the Magistrates Commission to provide written representation, but made no particular submissions except for requiring further particulars and the prima facie evidence the commission obtained relating to the charges of misconduct preferred against him.
Speaking to the Cape Times this week, Singh denied there was an affidavit implicating him.
He said the complaint about the affidavit was dismissed by the commission in 2018 and he was cleared of wrongdoing.
Singh denied that he signed the purported affidavit and accused the Magistrates Commission of misleading Lamola about him signing the affidavit. He also accused a senior high court judge of having a vendetta against him. The magistrate insisted that there was an affidavit that was signed contrary to allegations levelled against him.
“Why is it not put before Parliament?” he asked.
Singh said he was preparing papers to launch an application with the Equality Court over what he described as misleading Parliament, among oher issues.