Mogoeng challenges those with corruption claims to come forward
Mogoeng, who received documentation suspected to finger some form of corruption from a businessman who attended his briefing, said valid evidence to expose corruption would assist in clamping down on it.
FILE PICTURE: Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has challenged the public for proof of any corruption levelled against the judiciary. Mogoeng, alongside heads of court judges Dunstan Mlambo and C Musi, said the judiciary had noted allegations levelled against it on social media alleging corruption within the judiciary.
Justice Mogoeng was addressing the media in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Friday afternoon. He said his office had asked national police commissioner General Kehla Sitole to use relevant capacities at his disposal to “uncover the real forces behind the masks who are making apparently gratuitous allegations of corruption or capture against the judiciary”.
Mogoeng maintains it is part of police protocol to investigate.
The judiciary is not in the field of investigations, the police are, he said.
Answering to allegations made at the commission of inquiry into state capture that there are judges who “were captured”, Mogoeng said sufficient evidence was needed to back up the allegations.
“They must provide proof, of who has been captured, names of judges involved in wrongdoing, how and even proof of payment made.”
He said they must also be prepared to testify.
Mogoeng assumes that any allegation made against any judge should have sufficient evidence.
“Only a sworn enemy of our constitutional democracy would make allegations so grave against the judiciary without the evidence to back them up.”
He maintains fake accounts undermining the country or judiciary need to be unearthed.
Recently, a “list” was making the rounds on social media alleging some judges had benefited from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign funds.
“Tell us which judge has been captured or corrupted, and by whom. If money or any benefit was given, for how much? When? And produce verifiable documentary or electronic proof,” Mogoeng said.
He added judiciary spokesperson Nathi Mncube had shown him a tweet of someone who claimed to have informed him that certain judges in the Free State had allegedly been captured by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and that he had not acted upon it.
“I have never received that information. I have been assured by all the provincial leaders of colleagues against whom disturbing allegations of corruption and capture have been made that those allegations are false,” Mogoeng said.
“In the absence of concrete proof … I believe my colleagues. Everybody with evidence to support these damaging allegations that any judge is corrupt or has been captured must stop hiding behind fictional identities … please make your true identity and contact details known to us and the South African public.”
Additional reporting by News24 Wire
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