JOHANNESBURG - Public Interest SA has criticised the manner in which the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has handled the case against taxi bosses Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and his co-accused.
According to the Public Interest SA's Bagetsho Oteng, the events that unfolded at Kwaggafontein Magistrate's Court on Monday have done nothing to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Kwaggafontein Magistrate's Court struck the matter off the roll.
The four faced charges of extortion and money laundering. But on Monday walked out of court as free men.
This comes after the prosecutor was a no-show.
Oteng said this decision reinforced critics of the NPA's haste to enroll a matter in court without being prepared.
"The NPA is widely perceived as intolerant of criticism, and today’s debacle will only amplify legitimate public concern and frustration amid pervasive corruption and a growing sense of impunity," Oteng said.
Oteng said that while it is noted that the prosecutor must be held accountable for his actions, the same treatment must also be extended to his superiors.
Public Interest SA has now called for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to publicly account for the events that have unfolded.
For now, Sibanyoni and his co-accused are free men, with no active case against them on the court roll.
As for the prosecutor, the NPA has announced that the prosecutor would be suspended pending the institution of appropriate disciplinary action.
At the same time, the NPA confirmed that the DPP is engaging with the investigating officer to facilitate the re-enrolment of the case.