Batohi: Decision to refer Chauke to inquiry 'not an easy one to make'

NPA head Shamila Batohi has told the inquiry into Johannesburg prosecutions boss, Andrew Chauke, that her decision to refer him to an inquiry was "not an easy one to make".

Batohi began her testimony on Wednesday before the inquiry into Chauke’s fitness to hold office.

Chauke’s prosecutorial decisions are under scrutiny amid allegations that they were politically motivated. Batohi is the main complainant in the inquiry, having reported Chauke to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

READ: NPA boss Batohi defends charges against Joburg head prosecutor Chauke

As Advocate Shamila Batohi took her seat on the witness stand of the Nkabinde Inquiry, she gave an opening address, detailing her relationship with Chauke.

"Giving evidence before this inquiry is not something I relish. Advocate Chauke is a colleague that I have known for a long time, with whom I have had a professional and cordial relationship."

She saidthat Chauke’s inquiry was about the perception held by the public about prosecutors.

"And any perception that prosecutions are politically motivated, selectively pursued or not, or improperly abandoned, they erode the legitimacy of, and the trust and confidence in the entire system."

Batohi spent the afternoon giving technical evidence on the employment structure of prosecutors, a theme that she will continue on Thursday.