Johannesburg city officials want to meet the country’s new National Director of Public Prosecutions once she assumes office to raise concerns about the withdrawal of prosecutable cases by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Carte Blanche aired an exposé on Sunday‚ December 9 2018‚ about rampant corruption that had been uncovered by the City of Johannesburg and the “baffling decisions of the NPA to withdraw clear-cut‚ prosecutable cases”‚ Mashaba said in a statement on Monday‚ December 10 2018.

The city will request the intervention of advocate Shamila Batohi to ensure the cases are prosecuted without fear or favour.

“On numerous occasions the city has sought to engage the NPA to raise our concern on the apparent lack of attention paid to fraud and corruption matters referred to it by the city. So far‚ these engagements have yielded poor results‚” said Mashaba.

“Indeed‚ cases such as those of former candidate valuer Mbali McClare‚ who was arrested for [allegedly] undervaluing 22 properties in the city‚ amounting to just under R500 million‚ was withdrawn by the NPA late last month.

“This is one of a number of slam-dunk cases investigated by the city’s Group Forensic Investigations Services‚ headed by General Shadrack Sibiya‚ one of country’s top law-enforcement officials‚” he said.

Mashaba cited other cases in which people had been arrested for colluding with City Power officials and allegedly illegally selling state land.

“It is astounding to the city that justice is not served in the vast number of cases which the city has handed over to law-enforcement authorities. This is not only a miscarriage of justice for the city‚ but also for the law-abiding and hardworking residents of Johannesburg‚” said Mashaba.

Source: TMG Digital.