Politically fuelled factional battles, leaking of confidential information, unpleasant media attention and abuse of power at the embattled National Prosecuting Authority are a thing of the past. Well, that's if the newly appointed NPA boss, Shaun Abrahams, has his way.During his formal introduction in Pretoria yesterday Abrahams promised to prosecute without fear, favour or prejudice, and maintained that he had been appointed to be a "people's lawyer", not a politician.Asked if he would protect President Jacob Zuma against the corruption and racketeering charges that the DA wants reinstated, Abrahams said: "I do not intend to use my powers to protect anybody. I have not been appointed to protect anybody."The DA has cast aspersions on Abrahams' ability to be independent because he is considered to be close to the deputy national director of public prosecutions, Nomgcobo Jiba, whom the party says is close to Zuma.The DA spokesman on justice, former NPA prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach, has maintained that the cosy relationship between Jiba and Zuma is no secret and that Abrahams "was, in fact, Jiba's choice".But Abrahams, 39, said yesterday he did not know who had nominated him, only that Zuma had appointed him.He lamented that the NPA has hogged the headlines for the wrong reasons, admitting that some of its problems were self-inflicted.Abrahams said he would not shy away from these "unpleasant" matters and had already been briefed on most of them. He did not elaborate.Abrahams vowed to fight vigorously against corruption, organised crime and fraud.Factionalism in the NPA would not be tolerated under his watch."One issue that I want to speak of is the issue of camps in the NPA as alluded to in the media and conflated by senior members of the NPA. We are lawyers, officers of the court, and not politicians," he said.Abrahams warned officials who leaked confidential information that he would invoke section 41 of the NPA Act against them. The section stipulates that officials leaking information can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.He promised to regain public confidence in the NPA.Deputy national director of public prosecutions Willie Hofmeyr said he supported Abrahams and his assertion that he was a people's lawyer and not a politician."We will work together to rebuild the organisation and heal the divisions," Hofmeyr said.Abrahams explained how he had acquired his nickname, "Pikkewyntjie" - when he started walking at 18 months he waddled like a penguin...