Zondo inquiry to get more lawyers after recess

With over 200 people still to testify and some implicated individuals having applied to cross-examine witnesses, the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture is feeling the pressure of the heavy workload.

This is exacerbated by an inadequate number of lawyers on its staff.

The commission, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, which is in recess until May 2, admitted as much last week.

For the first time since starting the mammoth task of unearthing information from witnesses on the graft, corruption, money laundering and state capture that led to billions being siphoned out of the public purse, the commission has accepted the increase in work volume required more lawyers to be appointed.

Commission spokesperson Mbuyiselo Stemele said: “Some lawyers have recently joined the commission’s legal team. Others have been identified in the recent past, but it was found they had conflicts of interest.

“The commission has recently been informed by the department of justice of new procedures to be followed in appointing lawyers.”

It is expected that Zondo will exhaust the witnesses in the area of law enforcement, including in the SA Police Service, intelligence services and the National Prosecuting Authority, before hearing new evidence on Transnet.

Plagued by corruption due to greed and wasteful expenditure by its executives, which cost government billions of rands, the commission is expected to hear evidence from Transnet chairperson Popo Molefe and group CEO Tau Morwe early in May.

The commission is expected to cover the period from 2012 to 2017, which is said to have been dominated by Transnet managers’ receipt of huge financial kickbacks in tainted deals.

These include:

• R6.4 billion paid to Transnet on contracts with China North Rail and China South Rail.
• R92.6 million laundered through the Gupta-owned Homix shell company.
• R515.1 million involving Regiments Capital and Trillian – linked to Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa.

– brians@citizen.co.za

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