Home » Zuma Asks Shaun Abrahams Why He Shouldn’t be Suspended

Zuma Asks Shaun Abrahams Why He Shouldn’t be Suspended

President Jacob Zuma has asked National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, to provide reasons as to why he should not be suspended. This comes after Abrahams went after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and two former SARS (SA Revenue Services) colleagues, issuing them with a summons (which came a day after Abrahams met with Zuma at ANC […]

By SAPeople
15-11-16 18:55
in News

President Jacob Zuma has asked National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, to provide reasons as to why he should not be suspended.

shaun-abrahams-poemThis comes after Abrahams went after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and two former SARS (SA Revenue Services) colleagues, issuing them with a summons (which came a day after Abrahams met with Zuma at ANC headquarters Luthuli House, although the two deny discussing Gordhan).

Abrahams later withdrew the summons which had had a disastrous effect on the Rand.

According to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Abrahams’ charge of Gordhan “without first reviewing the matter himself was wholly unacceptable – and knocked R50 billion out of our ailing economy in the process”.

Although the DA tried to lay claim to influencing the President’s decision today, the Presidency said in a statement that Zuma’s decision follows a request by Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation for him to suspend three NPA advocates pending an inquiry into their fitness to hold office. 

The three are: Abrahams (National Director of Public Prosecutions), Sibongile Mzinyathi (Director of Public Prosecutions) and Dr Torie Pretorius (Acting Special Director of Public Prosecutions).

“Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation raised concerns with the manner in which the three advocates conducted the prosecution of Minister Pravin Gordhan, Visvanathan Pillay and George Magashula,” said the Presidency.

The President has requested the three advocates to make written representations to him, as to why they should not be placed on suspension and whether to hold an inquiry into their fitness to hold office.