DA wants NPA boss to be suspended

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane has called on President Jacob Zuma to suspend National Prosecuting Authority boss Shaun Abrahams‚ accusing the country's chief prosecutor of being politically compromised.

Maimane said he had written a letter to Zuma‚ "calling on him to immediately suspend the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP)‚ Adv Shaun Abrahams‚ in line with Section 12(6) of the NPA Act‚ pending an enquiry into his fitness to hold office".

Maimane said since his appointment in 2015‚ "Abrahams has overseen the complete politicisation of the National Prosecuting Authority‚ whereby an entrenched culture of selective prosecution has seen looting and theft of public money on a scale never seen before".

"Earlier this year‚ I laid an array of criminal charges against those who have captured our state and stolen public money‚ including Atul Gupta‚ Ajay Gupta‚ Rajesh Gupta‚ Ashu Chawla‚ Nazeem Howa‚ Mosebenzi Zwane‚ Malusi Gigaba‚ Faith Muthambi‚ Des van Rooyen‚ Duduzane Zuma and Matshela Koko‚" Maimane said in a statement.

"Since then‚ there has been no further action‚ investigation‚ or condemnation by Adv Abrahams nor his office. In any other functioning democracy‚ the allegations emanating from the leaked Gupta emails would be subject to immediate investigation. However‚ it appear Abrahams is hell-bent on protecting the corrupt and the connected."

Maimane said Abrahams had also failed to act on charges laid against Zuma in 2014‚ even though the case docket had been handed over his office in 2015.

A copy of Maimane's letter can be found here

- TimesLIVE