Yengeni asks Parliament to pay bills for legal challenge
Publish date: 11 December 2006
Issue Number: 1725
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Corruption
Tony Yengenis lawyer has confirmed that the convicted fraudster has asked Parliament to pay the costs for a Constitutional Court challenge of his criminal conviction.
According to a Sunday Times report, the former ANC Chief Whips attorney, Themba Langa, said he had sent a letter to Secretary of Parliament, Zingile Dingani, requesting funding. Yengenis new legal bid is based on a defunct law, Section 58 of the Powers and Privileges Act of 1963, which granted MPs immunity from civil or criminal proceedings, arrest, imprisonment or damages. Langa said Yengeni was convicted before this Act was repealed in 2004. Langa said in the letter to Parliament that Yengenis conviction was unconstitutional because the now defunct Act had been in force at the time of the fraudulent deal. Langa said: Tony is relatively young, he is a politician. If this conviction stands, it will deny him a prominent role in politics or in business. Full Sunday Times report
