New prosecutions boss cracks whip on corruption case failures

New NDPP Shamila Batohi has criticised senior prosecutors for not paying proper attention to high-profile corruption cases, says a City Press report. In two tense meetings, the first of which was held the day she assumed office on 1 February, Batohi demanded answers on why the NPA unit responsible for handling state capture and other high-profile commercial crimes cases could not ‘give (them) the required focus’. She also asked for a skills audit, and has sparked fears that the unit will be stripped of its ability to handle high-profile cases, which will be dealt with by the new Investigative Directorate, which will report directly to Batohi. City Press says it understands that these high-profile cases include those against Bosasa, now called African Global Operations, which have been stalled at the NPA for 10 years. Others include cases laid with the police in 2016, including state capture-related cases involving Transnet and Trillian Capital Partners, which was previously owned by Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa. Information about the meetings, the second of which was held on 4 February, is contained in a memo written by acting Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) head Advocate Mpho Doubada to his regional heads. Doubada wrote that Batohi ‘categorically indicated that, from where she stands, the unit was supposed to have concentrated on high-profile and serious corruption cases in line with its mandate, and she is going to ensure the unit operates in line with its mandate’.