Jiba ‘sidelined’ NPA unit head

Deputy national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) Nomvula Mokhatla revealed yesterday that she was kept in the dark regarding high-profile cases that suspended NDPP Nomgcobo Jiba was involved in.

Testifying at the Mokgoro Commission of Inquiry, she said that when Jiba became the acting NDPP, she changed the strategy and operations of the legal advisor division which Mokhatla headed.

The inquiry is tasked with establishing whether two of the country’s most senior prosecutors – Jiba and special director of public prosecutions Lawrence Mrwebi – are fit for office.

According to Mokhatla, Jiba reduced her division’s mandate and told her in a meeting in her office in 2012 that “certain services would no longer be rendered from within the legal advisor division, but would be dealt with by the national prosecuting services with immediate effect”.

This included representations and complaints made to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“In all high-profile cases that required the acting NDPP’s (Jiba at the time) attention, she had a greater level of involvement than in other cases and it was generally managed from her office,” Mokhatla submitted.

She said that although she was not consulted at times, she expected Jiba to keep her abreast of cases involving her unit.

Mokhatla said all litigious cases that came to the NPA should have immediately been brought to the attention of the head of the legal advisor division so a staffer could be allocated to oversee them.

“Jiba would sometimes engage the assistance of persons employed in the legal advisor division without any consultation with me.”

Yesterday afternoon, Mokhatla was expected to provide further details of how she was kept on the sidelines in other high-profile cases. – News24