Ramaphosa accuses Jiba of lying

Advovate Nomgcobo at the Mokgoro Inquiry. File photo by Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Advovate Nomgcobo at the Mokgoro Inquiry. File photo by Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Apr 26, 2019

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Cape Town - In his letters to former senior prosecutors Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi informing them of their axing with immediate effect, President Cyril Ramaphosa accuse the two of lying.

Jiba, who held the senior post of deputy national director of public prosecutions, and Mrwebi, who was special director of public prosecutions, were given their marching orders by Ramaphosa in letters on Friday after he received a report from retired chief justice Yvonne Mokgoro, who chaired a panel of inquiry probing their fitness to hold office, and also considered responses to the report by the two.

"I wish to advise that I have accepted the recommendations of the Inquiry," Ramaphosa says in his letters.

In his letter to Jiba, Ramaphosa said: The panel found that you lied to me. The panel made this finding after noting that in your submissions of 10 August 2018, you indicated that you appointed prosecutors from outside KZN, in the Booysen matter, on request of the acting DPP of KZN. However, in your statement under oath before the panel, you said this was not the case."

Mrwebi is told that the panel found he had lied during his testimony before it.

The president denied Jiba's request to be appointed to another senior position in the public service, saying "because of the findings of dishonesty and disregard for the courts that have been made against you in the Enquiry report".

Mrwebi had requested early retirement, but Ramaphosa again refused, saying: "Your request that you be given the opportunity to retire, in light of your age, cannot be acceded to, because of the seriousness of the findings against you."

Jiba and Mrwebi were also implicated in the state capture inquiry by former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi, who testified that the two had been paid monthly bribes to scuttle any attempts to prosecute the company for dodgy dealings with the State.

African News Agency (ANA)

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