Mashaba lays criminal charges after PP draft report leak

Founder of The People’s Dialogue party and former Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has opened a criminal case over the illegal leaking of the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s draft report.

According to a statement by Mashaba the leak was sent to at least six newspapers.

He and former Chief of Police David Tembe opened the case at the Sandton Police Station on 8 June.

Whoever leaked the draft report is going to face the full might of the law!

This thing of politicising Chapter 9 Institutions must come to an end!

Also, if the @PublicProtector wants to keep some of these findings, we will be happy to expose her errors in a court of law. pic.twitter.com/jTfos5hnhc

— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) June 8, 2020

“A leak of this nature is deliberate, coordinated and political in nature,” he said.

Mashaba added that according to Section 11 of the Public Protector Act, this is a criminal offence subject to a fine of R40 000 or 12 months imprisonment.

“The reason for this is that the leaked draft report was exactly that, a draft report. I am still currently finalising our submission to demonstrate the serious errors in law and fact contained in the draft report,” he said.

Mashaba noted that investigation process should not be difficult as only two other parties, other than Mashaba and Tembe, had the draft report – the City of Johannesburg and the Office of the Public Protector.

“Until the person responsible for the leak is found, I am going to hold the Public Protector’s Office and our criminal justice system to account.”

The report relates to the Public Protectors on-going investigation of a complaint in 2018 in which allegations of maladministration were levelled against the City of Johannesburg.

Related articles:

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/277469/prioritising-the-safety-of-commuters/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/277178/sandton-police-station-temporary-closed-as-officer-tests-positive-covid-19/