Anna Majavu
Anna Majavu
The president of the country could soon be stripped of the powers to appoint the head of the national prosecuting authority (NPA).
Instead an independent body - like the judicial services commission which appoints judges - could be established to appoint both the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) and senior prosecutors. The body would then report its decision to Parliament.
Currently the NDPP and prosecutors are appointed by the president. The overall responsibility for the NPA lies with the minister of justice.
"There may well be a need for us to consider the NDPP and senior prosecutors being appointed by an independent panel in an open, transparent process, and for the panel to report to Parliament on its decisions," chairman of the justice portfolio committee Yunus Carrim said yesterday.