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NPA’s actions on Gordhan charges ‘mind-boggling’‚ says former head Pikoli

Finance minister Pravin Gordhan. Picture Credit: Gallo Images
Finance minister Pravin Gordhan. Picture Credit: Gallo Images

Former head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Vusi Pikoli has described the aborted decision to charge Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan with fraud as “mind-boggling”.

Pikoli said on Wednesday that an element of political interference was at play within the prosecuting authority‚ similar to what he had encountered during his time as the national director of public prosecutions.

“What I find a little bit startling‚ or mind-boggling‚ is the decision to charge … Gordhan‚ Ivan Pillay and Oupa Magashula‚” he told radio station CapeTalk (www.capetalk.co.za).

He said it was mind-boggling that experienced and competent prosecutors — working under new prosecutions boss Shaun Abrahams — were involved in the decision to prosecute.

Speaking of the interference he experienced‚ two days before his suspension by President Thabo Mbeki in September 2007‚ he said former justice minister Brigitte Mabandla had given him a letter “asking me to stop what we intended doing at the time”.

The NPA was planning to prosecute former national commissioner of the South African Police Service Jackie Selebi.

“And then‚ when I refused to do that‚ I had a meeting with the president who also voiced certain concerns … The president then informed me that I was not sensitive enough to national security matters. All those issues are issues outside of the NPA‚” he said. – TMG Digital

 

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