/ 20 November 2008

Pikoli report to be made public

The Ginwala commission’s report on suspended prosecutions head Vusi Pikoli could be made public at the end of next week, government communications head Themba Maseko said on Thursday.

Briefing the media in Cape Town following Cabinet’s regular fortnightly meeting the day before, he said the report — a copy of which was sent to Pikoli on November 12 — was being studied by Pikoli’s lawyers.

”President Kgalema Motlanthe has given a copy of the report to advocate Pikoli and his attorneys, and he gave them a week to respond to the report and express their views.

”His [Pikoli’s] lawyers then came back and said a week was not enough, they needed two weeks, and that … will take them to the end of next week.

”So as soon as [the lawyers] have responded, the president will then look at what they’ve said, will look at the report, and decide what course of action he [Motlanthe] will take.

”He will then decide whether to reinstate advocate Pikoli, and then to release the report to the public. We are looking at another week or two before a final decision is made.”

Questioned about the public release of the report, Maseko said: ”In my discussions with the president he has indicated he has no problem releasing the report to the public.” — Sapa