Jiba, Mrwebi’s fates hang in balance
Judgment has been reserved in an application by the General Council of the Bar to have deputy national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba and the National Prosecuting Authority’s specialised commercial crimes head, Lawrence Mrwebi, struck off as advocates.
Judges Francis Legodi and Wendy Hughes yesterday reserved judgment in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria after listening to legal argument stretching over a period of nearly three days.
The Bar Council argued Jiba and Mrwebi were no longer fit to practise as advocates in light of a series of court rulings that contained adverse findings about their conduct.
Both officials have opposed the application, saying the criticism against them was based on their conduct in their official capacity and not as advocates for their clients.
The council’s application is based on judgments in Freedom Under Law’s successful challenge to the National Prosecuting Authority decision to drop charges of murder, kidnapping, fraud and corruption against former crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli; a ruling setting aside attempts to prosecute the head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal Johan Booysen; and a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in the “spy tape” saga, used to drop corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma.
The duo were criticised in the judgments for not playing open cards with the court.
The Bar Council’s advocate Schalk Burger argued that they remained advocates – no matter in what capacity they acted – and were as such required to act with the highest of integrity.