WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-06-28 Time: 14:00:01 Posted By: Jan
Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy has left for Washington, leaving his embattled unit to limp along until the bills that will finish it off are signed into law, now probably only next year.
McCarthy left in the same week that parliament is finally expected to advertise in weekend newspapers for public submissions on the two bills, which will put into effect the decision to disband the Scorpions and establish a new unit in the police to fight organised and commercial crime.
Public hearings are scheduled for parliament and the provinces in August. The public hearings will not focus on the two bills only, but also on the government’s aim to overhaul the criminal justice system.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali confirmed on Friday that McCarthy left on Tuesday to take up his new job at the World Bank.
No acting head for the Scorpions had been appointed, he said.
But he played down fears that the unit would be left rudderless, arguing that acting NPA boss Mokotedi Mpshe was keeping an eye on things.
He also said the Scorpions deputy director Thanda Mngwewe, who returned from leave on Friday, was likely to take over the reins.
Tlali said McCarthy’s departure wouldn’t hamper the unit’s major cases, including the prosecution of Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Selebi will face charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice in April 2009.
On whether the Selebi case would be jeopardised by McCarthy’s departure, Tlali said: “It shouldn’t be an issue because there is a project team responsible for that investigation.”
He noted that Gauteng’s Scorpions boss, Gerrie Nel, was one of the prosecutors.
A security analyst believes the decision not to appoint an acting replacement for McCarthy has its roots in the political quagmire in which the the criminal justice system has been bogged down.
Prince Mashele, of the Institute for Security Studies, said a “normal handover of power” could not be expected from McCarthy, who departed under something of a cloud because of his involvement in the drafting of the Special Browse Mole report.
Parliament endorsed a call by its joint standing committee on intelligence that the executive should take appropriate action against McCarthy and others involved in compiling the report.
McCarthy’s departure and the uncertainty it created within the unit, played nicely into the hands of politicians who were bent on orchestrating the Scorpions’ demise, Mashele said.
There is some concern that McCarthy’s departure could further affect morale and lead to more staff leaving the unit.
Several top investigators within the unit have already handed in their resignations, including Piet Jonker and Piet van der Merwe, named as “major witnesses” in the Selebi case.
Mpshe is on record as saying morale within the Scorpions has plummeted since the ANC resolved to disband the unit.
Despite overshooting the ANC’s original June deadline to have the Scorpions disbanded, MPs are confident they will pass the legislation.
Mashele said the ANC would be happy to take its foot off the accelerator and allow the legislative process to coast on until the end of the year.
The party hopes that this delay will allow enough time for the heightened public emotions surrounding the move to die down.
The first reading of the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill and the SA Police Service Amendment Bill took place last week, beginning the legislative process to close the Scorpions and to create a new unit within the SAPS.