Scorpions support grows

Published May 21, 2008

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Five political parties are to put their arguments to a Pretoria High Court judge on Wednesday in support of saving the Scorpions.

They were given permission to join a bid in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday to save the elite investigative unit.

Judge Willie van der Merwe ruled that the African Christian Democratic Party, Democratic Alliance, Independent Democrats, Inkatha Freedom Party and United Democratic Movement be made friends of the court.

They would now be able to argue in the case brought by Johannesburg businessman Hugh Glenister to prevent government from disbanding the Scorpions. They are expected to argue their cases on Wednesday.

Glenister's legal counsel, advocate David Unterhalter SC, started the case by arguing that government had broken the trust of its people by taking a decision to disband the Scorpions. He said government was required to act in the public interests.

"It does not surrender its powers to third parties," he said about the ANC's pressure from government to disband the Scorpions.

"You cannot take apart an entire institution because of the instance of a political party that is saying its scrutiny of it is too much," he contended.

Earlier a small group of people gathered outside the court to protest against the disbanding of the elite crime-fighting unit.

Members of the DA were showing their support for Glenister by protesting with placards that read "Save our Scorpions".

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