A KwaZulu-Natal magistrate on Thursday called for four of South Africa’s high-profile lawyers who are current and former top officials in the Scorpions to be struck off the roll of advocates, according to South African Broadcasting Corporation television news.
Ashin Singh, who was acquitted on a charge of defeating the ends of justice following his involvement in a 2000 Scorpions investigation, has lodged his complaint with the general council of the Bar.
His complaint is against advocates Billy Downer and Chris MacAdam, former director of public prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka and current National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli.
Singh said Ngcuka ordered the investigation into his conduct in the investigation into the Ndabezitha massacre in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2000, while Downer and MacAdam led false evidence at this trial.
Singh claimed that Pikoli, who was then director general of justice, allegedly revoked his right to legal representation at state expense.
”These assertions I make are not mere allegations,” Singh told television news. ”It is well-founded and can be established from the court record where I was tried, and anybody who can read and write can see these individuals lied and misled the court, and they are simply allowed to get away with it, which brings the whole profession into disrepute.”
The Bar Council has to decide whether there is a legal basis to act against state advocates.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority has turned down Singh’s request for a private prosecution of Ngcuka, Downer and MacAdam, saying he has no case. — Sapa