Inquiry hears Jiba 'behind' NPA official's removal from foreign bribery probes

Published Jan 22, 2019

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PRETORIA - A prosecutor from the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit, Chris Macadam, on Tuesday testified that suspended top advocate Nomgcobo Jiba had allegedly stripped him of his duties with no explanation.

MacAdam testified on day two of the inquiry into the fitness of Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi to hold office. 

The inquiry, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa following a series of damning allegations against Jiba and Mrwebi. 

MacAdam told the inquiry that he was informed by an Advocate Andrea Johnson that Jiba had allegedly given instructions that he must hand over the foreign bribes investigations to the Special Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU).

He said after a while former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams told him he did not give the instructions to take the foreign bribes investigations away from him.

"After being told I was still the foreign bribery prosecutor, I tried to get back my files which I submitted to Brigadier Moodley," MacAdam explained.

He said he never received the files and was told that Mrwebi had issued an instruction that the cases be distributed to various officers in the SCCU and not to be handed to him.

"I tried to follow up but did not get a reply," he said.

MacAdam said in four of the six cases, there was no movement and no prosecutors were assigned to the cases.

"I was given less than 24 hours to compile the handover report and told Advocate Lebo Baloyi that my door is open. I urged Brigadier Moodley to meet with Baloyi to follow up," he explained.

During cross examination, advocate Mervyn Rip, SC, representing Mrwebi, asked MacAdams if it would be fair to say he was extremely disgruntled at being removed from his position. 

"I was not disgruntled, I was disappointed in the manner I was being removed," he said.

Rip put to it MacAdam that it was not about him, but about work. 

"As a senior member of NPA I was accustomed to communication. I was informed by adv Johnson, who had the same rank as me. It was almost as if they were chopping off a cancer with an axe," MacAdam replied.

Jiba is the deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions ( NDPP) and Mrwebi the Special Director of Public Prosecutions.

Some of the damning judgments against Jiba and Mrwebi include dropping murder charges against former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.

Mdluli stood accused of having murdered the boyfriend of his ex-lover but the charges were mysteriously dropped

The hearing continues.

African News Agency (ANA)

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