Suspend Abrahams immediately: Freedom Under Law

Freedom Under Law (FUL) is writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to consider suspending prosecutions head Shaun Abrahams and his senior colleagues Torie Pretorius and Sibongile Mzinyathi forthwith.

This comes after former SARS executives Ivan Pillay, Johann van Loggerenberg and Andries Janse van Rensburg were today issued summons to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on April 9 on charges of corruption and contravention of the Rica Act.

Retired Constitutional Court Judge Johann Kriegler of FUL says in a media release Abrahams and the National Prosecuting Authority suffered a public humiliation about 18 months ago when their highly publicized charges against certain former Sars officials and minister Pravin Gordhan had to be abandoned.

This was after they were faced with clear refuting evidence of which they were aware, or ought to have been aware, the statement says.

KPMG, which wrote the so-called “forensic report” on which the charges at the time were based, has since repudiated the report.

The statement adds that now, once again, “the NPA, urged on by Sars commissioner Tom Moyane, has seen fit to revive the ‘rogue unit’ fable, levelling charges linked to the unit dating back to 2007/8.

“Freedom Under Law is convinced the current allegations are as groundless as those of 2016 and will suffer the same fate.

“FUL notes with concern that, although Ivan Pillay and Johann van Loggerenberg have throughout been able and willing to cooperate, these brand new charges have been presented without any enquiry, forewarning or opportunity to make representations.

“This is in such contrast to the courtesies accorded others that there is every reason to question the motive behind these renewed allegations,” the statement says.

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