DPP to take over prosecutorial function :: Mmegi Online

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has embarked on a project geared towards taking over of prosecutorial functions from the police. The Minister of Justice, Machana Shamukuni, revealed this when giving a speech before the Committee of Supply in Parliament recently.

He stated that the objective of the project is to relieve the Botswana Police Service (BPS) of the responsibility of prosecuting for them to focus on their core mandate, which is to detect and prevent crime.

He said in any event, the prosecution of criminal cases is the constitutional mandate of the DPP and it is proper that each institution deals with what it was established to do. He stated that the exercise was initially commenced in 2005 but was deferred as at the time it realised intermittent results due to the inadequacy of resources. Shamukuni further said the exercise was resuscitated in April 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2025, resources permitting.

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