Shamila batohi
Batohi: SA’s rule of law on life support but NPA fighting to save it
But she has promised the days of impunity are over and those charged with corruption will face the full might of the law.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi was addressing the Frederick van Zyl Slabbert honorary lecture hosted by Stellenbosch University on Monday night.
National Prosecuting Authority Head Shamila Batohi says the levels of corruption in local government are worse than they thought.
NPA head Shamiela Batohi said cases would have never seen the inside of a court room prior to 2019, but they were doing everything possible to finalise them.
NPA head Shamiela Batohi briefed Parliament’s public finance watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), on Tuesday.
Shamila Batohi said that most of the more than 1,000 referrals to the NPA from the SIU were sitting with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) – the Hawks.
Shamila Batohi and the NPA are under enormous pressure to speed up the pace of prosecutions in the wake of the SIU’s report on COVID-19 related corruption that siphoned off billions of rand, as well as the reports from the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.
Members of the Parliament took NDPP Shamila Batohi to task for the lack of progress in prosecutions since she took over running the NPA. These include apartheid-era atrocities.
Batohi was put on the spot on Wednesday facing members of the Justice Portfolio Committee to discuss progress in prosecutions.
This was after MPs expressed frustration at a lack of progress in prosecutions for corruption as well as apartheid era atrocities.
MPs described the slow pace of arrests and prosecutions as a “shame” calling on the head of the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) to start showing some results.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba has given an update on the money recouped from people linked to state capture- including the Guptas.
Batohi gave a briefing on Monday following the resignation of the directorate's boss Hermione Cronje.
During a media briefing, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi commented on the recent resignation of Hermione Cronje who was the head of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID). #NPA
Shamila Batohi has denied having a fall out with Cronje as suggested by some media reports- saying she had even tried to convince her to stay.
Reports of infighting in the prosecuting authority surfaced after Hermione Cronje announced her resignation last week.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi is briefing the media on the latest developments at the NPA.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi said they have now applied to the health department to make NPA staff and prosecutors essential services so they can get vaccinated.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that the extradition treaty between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates had been ratified after the National Prosecuting Authority approached Interpol to assist in the execution of warrants of arrests for brothers Atul and Rajesh Gupta, their wives and four others. The treaty comes into effect on 10 July. #Guptas #UAE