NPA seeks overseas assistance

AID: SEIZURE OF LOOTED BILLIONS

Will work with foreign law firms on state capture prosecutions.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is set to rope in international law firms to help seize assets and billions of rands looted and transferred overseas by state capture collaborators.

NPA head Shamila Batohi and her management team laid down their plans before parliament’s justice and correctional services portfolio committee during a budget presentation on Tuesday.

Collaboration with other entities and overseas experts was the way to go, said Batohi, remarking that whether or not a person was mentioned in the state capture reports will not be the reason behind the NPA’s decision to prosecute or not.

“We follow our processes and the evidence on whether to prosecute or not,” she said, adding the NPA was halfway through implementing its five-year strategic plan.

Another collaboration – through a task team consisting of the Hawks and the state capture commission – has been formed to ensure smooth prosecution of those accused of state capture, Batohi said.

“The plan is bearing fruit. We are on track although we have had to do some prioritisation, which is understandable as it speaks to the heart of corruption,” she said.

“The next six months will be prudent and defining for the NPA. We’ve had to reorganise, refocus and prioritise to make sure we respond to the Zondo reports. This success will draw increased attacks against the NPA and its staff. But we are ready.”

Batohi added that an extension of the NPA’s Investigative Directorate (ID) was important in expediting the cases.

“The minister [of justice Ronald Lamola] spoke about the ID’s mandate in our last meeting. His views will be critical in terms of moving the work of the ID forward.

“We have ongoing engagements with the Zondo commission on the usage of their digital forensic laboratory. We will be able to reach agreement on how the ID can access those critical cases speedily.”

The ID has declared 82 investigations and enrolled 20 cases for 65 accused. The unit was established in 2019 as a temporary operational intervention to deal with the country’s corruption crisis, especially the barrage of state capture cases. Its five-year mandate ends in 2024.

Andrea Johnson was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa two months ago to lead the ID following the resignation of Hermione Cronje.

MPs asked the NPA why it was taking so long to bring the “big fish” to justice.

Batohi replied that people tend to forget the good results too quickly.

A tight deadline between April and September has been set to prosecute nine high-level corruption cases; as public pressure mounts on the NPA to send the alleged looters to jail. –