The cluster, which includes the Police Ministry, State Security, Home Affairs and Justice and Constitutional Development, said the number of people arrested for fraudulent and illegal activities has increased.
“In total, 522 allegations of serious corruption were recorded by the end of June 2013. A total of 791 persons are currently under criminal, financial and/or forensic investigation,” said Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe.
Of these, 92 people received R5 million or more in illegal benefits.
Legal action is being taken against 446 accused people, of which pre-trial proceedings were underway for 98 priority cases.
Radebe added that according to the National Prosecuting Authority’s statistics at the end of September 2013, 228 people were successfully convicted for corruption related crimes within the cluster.
Meanwhile, a 69.6 percent trial ready case docket rate was achieved. The cluster’s target was set at 35 percent, to be achieved by 2014.
The total backlog of cases in all courts at the end of September 2013 was at its lowest with 26 233 cases. This surpassed the target of 32 117 cases set for the end of the second quarter by 24.7 percent.
In addition, the prosecuting authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit had paid a total of R149 million into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account and to victims of crime within the first half of the year.
Radebe said, “This is 170 percent above its target of R55 million and higher than it has ever achieved in a full year.”
By law, the money and properties in the account must be used to provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies or other organisations set up to assist victims of crime.
