Top lawyers on child porn wanted list
Publish date: 27 August 2013
Issue Number: 542
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: South Africa
Top executives from banks, insurance firms, legal practices and IT companies are said to be on the growing list of alleged South African paedophiles linked to an international child-porn ring, according to a report in The Times.
It says a specially established police task team is investigating 50 suspected paedophiles in South Africa. Last week six men, including a headmaster, a retired school principal, a teacher, a dermatologist, a LegalAid lawyer and a businessman were arrested in raids across the country. They have all been charged with being in possession of child pornography. The six - along with other suspects - are alleged to have subscribed to a Canadian website that supplies child pornography to paedophiles globally. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said 30 search warrants had been obtained in connection with the 'nearly 50 suspects we are investigating'. He added: 'The people we arrested and are looking for are professionals.' The report notes LegalAid spokesperson Mpho Phasha confirmed that one of the organisation's attorneys, employed as a senior legal manager in the North West, had been arrested. The attorney had been employed by LegalAid SA since 1995. The attorney resigned the day he was arrested. Full report in The Times
