Ramaphosa to meet Batohi over NPA 'infiltration' claims

President Cyril Ramaphosa has summoned national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) advocate Shamila Batohi over her comments on the alleged infiltration of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Batohi caused a stir this week when she said in a series of interviews that the NPA had been infiltrated by unscrupulous prosecutors working in cahoots with criminals to deliberately bungle cases.

Ramaphosa said he believes this meeting will allow the NPA boss an opportunity to vent and lay her cards on the table.

“The NDPP did make that statement and she has later said she used the wrong words about the infiltration. I’m going to have a meeting with her so she can download and take off the chest some of the challenges she faces,” he said.

Despite the NPA facing criticism over its handling of recent cases, the president commended it for stabilising itself in pursuing prosecutions.

“Often we look at those where there are failures. Now she will be able to download and take out, and she will be able to speak to that herself, as she does when she talks to me.

“I don't believe there is state capture now under way in the NPA. I believe there are really good prosecutors, those who are putting in a lot of effort and the number of cases are being prosecuted, and including those that came out of the Zondo commission.”

Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Batohi had explained she had been inundated with allegations that cases, including high-profile ones, were being deliberately sabotaged. “But what she is worrying about is allegations of prosecutors who are working with criminal networks to sabotage cases. So we would have to deal with it case by case.

“I said to her I will engage the head of state to look at what we can do [to] investigate those individuals. That we will have to do. It's not the entirety of the institution that is affected; it's not really infiltration,” she said.

Kubayi said she told Batohi she would speak to Ramaphosa about her concerns with a view to possibly launching an investigation into prosecutors accused of working with criminals to bungle cases.

The meeting between Kubayi and Batohi took place days after the NPA was dealt a blow in the case against former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule when the court ruled the extradition from the US of his former PA Moroadi Cholota was invalid.

This is one of several embarrassing defeats the NPA has suffered in high-profile cases, leading to concerns about the performance and preparedness of the prosecuting body when going to court.

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