Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation served an urgent application on Sunday morning to have criminal charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan set aside.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams announced on October 11 that Gordhan‚ together with two former South African Revenue Service officials‚ had been charged with fraud. They are due to appear in court on November 2.
The two organisations served the application after they invited Abrahams to furnish them with more information about the charges‚ or to withdraw them voluntarily.
“He failed to do this‚ despite being given a week’s notice‚” the organisations said in a joint statement.
The organisations claimed the charges against Gordhan were without foundation.
“Relating to the early retirement and subsequent re-employment of Ivan Pillay‚ a former Deputy Commissioner of South African Revenue Service‚ they are completely invalid‚ both legally and on any plausible reading of the facts.
“At best‚ the charges reveal dizzying incompetence at the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks. At worst‚ they confirm our suspicions: that the criminal justice system is being undermined to serve particular political interests.”
The organisations said their application did not seek to protect particular individuals‚ or to take any side in factional battles.
“It is about protecting the machinery of the state from being undermined for malign purposes‚ thereby also preventing further damage to our fragile economy at a sensitive time.
“The people of South Africa have a right to a criminal justice system that works for‚ not against‚ them. We are going to court to vindicate that right.”
Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law launch bid to set aside Gordhan's charges
Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation served an urgent application on Sunday morning to have criminal charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan set aside.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams announced on October 11 that Gordhan‚ together with two former South African Revenue Service officials‚ had been charged with fraud. They are due to appear in court on November 2.
The two organisations served the application after they invited Abrahams to furnish them with more information about the charges‚ or to withdraw them voluntarily.
“He failed to do this‚ despite being given a week’s notice‚” the organisations said in a joint statement.
The organisations claimed the charges against Gordhan were without foundation.
“Relating to the early retirement and subsequent re-employment of Ivan Pillay‚ a former Deputy Commissioner of South African Revenue Service‚ they are completely invalid‚ both legally and on any plausible reading of the facts.
“At best‚ the charges reveal dizzying incompetence at the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks. At worst‚ they confirm our suspicions: that the criminal justice system is being undermined to serve particular political interests.”
The organisations said their application did not seek to protect particular individuals‚ or to take any side in factional battles.
“It is about protecting the machinery of the state from being undermined for malign purposes‚ thereby also preventing further damage to our fragile economy at a sensitive time.
“The people of South Africa have a right to a criminal justice system that works for‚ not against‚ them. We are going to court to vindicate that right.”