Pretoria- President Jacob Zuma has announced that he will not suspend the National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams.
The president will also not suspend the North Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Sibongile Mzinyathi and the Acting Head of the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit Torie Pretorius.
This follows their submissions to the President on why they should not be suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry into their fitness to hold office.
“In considering this matter the President had to place weight to the provisions of section 179 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 which guarantees the independence of the National Prosecuting Authority and those of its officials,” the Presidency said on Friday.
The President’s was requested by Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation for to suspend the three advocates, pending an inquiry into their fitness to hold office.
Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation raised concerns with the manner in which the three advocates conducted the prosecution of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Visvanathan Pillay and Oupa Magashula.
The Presidency said President Zuma could not find substantiation for the claim that Abrahams, Mzinyathi and Pretorius’s conducts were actuated by ulterior motive or any other improper motive which would give rise to a charge of misconduct or that they are no longer fit and proper to hold office.
“It is the President’s well considered view that there is no prima facie evidence pointing to the conduct of three prosecutors, constituting misconduct or lack of fitness and propriety to warrant the invocation of the provisions of section 12(6) read with 14(3) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act.”
Taking the aforementioned into consideration the President decided not to provisionally suspend three and hold an enquiry into their fitness to hold office as envisaged in section 12(6) read with 14(3) of the Act.-SAnews.gov.za
