The four musketeers and asset forfeiture

Congratulations to Bafi Nlanda on his appointment as Receiver, to Stephen Tiroyakgosi on his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions, to Abraham Keetshabe on his homecoming and to Victor Paledi on his new office as Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) Director.

I have worked with the first two closely at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). I use the word “Directorate” advisedly. There are some who swear that there is no such thing as the “Directorate of Public Prosecutions”. They argue that there is only a Director of Public Prosecutions who is just a member of the staff of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). They deny that Parliament intended any structural independence.

As if the Constitution ever spoke of “The Attorney General’s Chambers”. By the way, Section 51 of the Constitution was deliberately drafted to file the DPP’s teeth through administrative supervision by the Attorney General.  One Attorney General argued that the DPP was an AGC Division. Welcome, Stephen Tiroyakgosi. Are you head of the DPP or of the Prosecution Division of the AGC? By the way, you have a right to remain silent.

Editor's Comment
Prosecutors deserve better

These legal professionals, who are entrusted with upholding the rule of law, face numerous challenges that compromise their ability to effectively carry out their duties.Elsewhere in this edition, we carry a story on the lamentations of the officers of court.The prosecutors have raised a number of concerns, calling for urgent attention from all relevant stakeholders, including the President, Minister of Justice and the Attorney General. Their...

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