Investigators at Société Générale believe that rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel was aided by an assistant who processed a large number of his transactions during the fraudulent trading spree that cost the bank â,¬4,9-billion. They suspect the accomplice of registering almost 15% of the fictitious trades used by Kerviel to disguise his suspect positions.
Australian businessman John Stratton is fighting South Africa's plans to have him extradited in connection with the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble. Currently living in Perth, Stratton is wanted by the Scorpions as an alleged co-conspirator in the brutal murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble in September 2005.
The disbanding of the Scorpions will protect corrupt and criminal politicians from prosecution, the deputy director of Public Prosecutions warned on Thursday. The Directorate of Special Operations, also known as the Scorpions, would lose its ability to independently investigate government officials if it was incorporated into the police, said Billy Downer, SC.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service are hard at work repairing their relationship ahead of a planned merger with the Scorpions, NPA acting head Mokotedi Mpshe said on Wednesday. "We're focusing primarily on salvaging whatever relations there are," Mpshe told reporters in Johannesburg.
Although the violent nature of crime in South Africa is often highlighted, white-collar crimes are rampant and impact negatively on citizens' rights. Bribery and corruption were perceived to be the most prevalent crimes, said a South African Human Rights Commission report.
