NPA expands capabilities for complex corruption cases

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will spare “no effort or cost” in its efforts to prosecute complex corruption cases and will be expanding their pool of expertise in this regard.

This is according to a statement released by the prosecutorial body on Friday.

“The NPA is cognisant of the devastating impact that state capture and other forms of corruption has on our country – on our economy, our democratic institutions, and our people. It will therefore spare no effort or cost to ensure that it has the best capabilities to prosecute state capture and other complex corruption cases, and to ensure that justice prevails.

“Under its present leadership, the NPA has prioritised the prosecution of these crimes. Drawing on lessons from recent setbacks, and the findings of our capacity enhancement initiative, the NPA is further expanding and strengthening its prosecution capabilities relating to these cases,” the statement read.

According to the statement, the NPA has conducted research into its capabilities and found that it has the necessary “core of highly experienced and competent prosecutors who can effectively prosecute the bulk of serious cases on the court rolls”.

This pool of capability will, however, be expanded to account for the “changing nature of crime, including its increased digital character and the growing complexity of corruption matters”.

“The NPA’s expanded approach builds on previous experience and practice. It starts with strategic case coordination and prioritisation of impactful cases, and extends to enlisting the services of the country’s leading Senior Counsel and other local and international experts to support prosecutors and ID investigators in their work.

“This expanded use of seasoned advocates and other experts to support our specialist staff, which we gain now applied in some key cases already enrolled, will ensure that the NPA is able to deal with all aspects of these complex cases, in a sustainable and coordinated manner, with the best available resources.

“The NPA will also expand the use of its existing internal case advisory panels, to ensure that the most experienced prosecutors in the NPA provide their insights and guidance in relation to all priority cases, primarily on whether the standard of proof required for enrolment is met,” the statement read.

The prosecutorial body assured that it is seeking additional sources in cases related to state capture.

“In respect of state capture and other complex corruption cases, the NPA is adopting a more strategic and focused approach, allocating highly skilled additional resources to maximise its chances of success in ensuring justice and accountability. This expanded approach will allow us to finish so,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za

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