Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained freezing orders of more than R5.8bn

THE National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) obtained freezing orders to the tune of more than R5 billion in corruption and related matters during the 2021-22 financial year.

This was revealed by National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi when the NPA’s annual report was tabled in Parliament last week.

Batohi said the freezing orders were obtained in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to secure the assets and to prevent dissipation.

“The AFU obtained 320 freezing orders to the value of R512m. This amount is not the total value of all freezing orders, as orders in serious corruption matters are reported on separately,” she said.

“The total amount of all orders obtained during the financial year, including corruption freezing orders, is R5.835bn,” she said.

Batohi also said there were 370 completed confiscation and forfeiture orders to the value of R406m.

“The value cannot be realised until there is a conviction, which, in complex prosecutions, can take a considerable amount of time,” she said.

The entity obtained recoveries of assets to the value of R281m.

“The AFU obtained recoveries in the amount of R117m in corruption matters.”

Batohi also said that both the AFU and the Investigating Directorate (ID) were critical to the success of the NPA in addressing corruption cases arising from the Zondo Commission reports.

She said the ID had enrolled over 20 matters, charged 65 accused and obtained freezing orders to the value of R5.5bn, with the single biggest restraint of R3.78bn obtained by the AFU.

The report noted that the investigations conducted by the Investigating Directorate covered contracts to the value of R2.1 trillion.