A Protea Magistrate's Court senior public prosecutor, Yusuf Baba, has been arrested and charged as the net closes on a syndicate of allegedly corrupt police, prosecutors, attorneys and businessmen.
Baba, a former attorney, was released on R1000 bail on Friday shortly after being arrested by the Hawks on charges of fraud and extortion.
He joins 14 others in the dock, including former West Rand chief prosecutor André Lamprecht and his son, senior prosecutor Adriaan Lamprecht, Lenasia detective Moses Moshe Matsau, police officers Edward Cork, Johan Smit, and Takalani Lusumzi, businessman Shaun Tuna, his employees Asfaq and Nomi Mashi, and Vusi Masina, and Tuna's business associate, Ayub Mohammed.
The accused face 40 charges, including racketeering, defeating the ends of justice, corruption, extortion, and conspiracy to commit these offences in January 2009 and December 2010.
The extortion charges relate to the persuasion of Pakistanis, allegedly detained under false charges, to make false statements about Tuna's business rival who opened a bakery in competition to Tuna's.
Prosecutor Patrick Nkuna told the court that Baba was told by Lamprecht junior to persuade the Pakistanis to make false statements.
Representing himself, Baba said he would plead not guilty.
He said that he had been told that he was to be a witness in the case. The accused are scheduled to return to court on March 30.
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