News24 | State drops case against former chief justice office officials, reinstates it via 'back door'

Former national director of public prosecutions Mxolisi Nxasana has labelled the prosecution of former Office of the Chief Justice officials as 'unlawful'.

Former prosecutions boss and defence attorney Mxolisi Nxasana has slammed the State for "unlawfully" failing to seek any answers from three former Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) officials about their role in a R225 million tender before it charged them with corruption.

"We are shocked that a matter that is being handled by senior officials of the SA Police Service and very senior prosecutors at the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] could miss such an important requirement before they could initiate the prosecution," Nxasana, who is part of the legal team representing the three, told News24.

He said former OCJ spokesperson and chief director of court administration Nathi Mncube, former OCJ director of court operations Yvonne van Niekerk and former OCJ chief financial officer and bid adjudication committee chairperson Casper Coetzer had intended to apply for the case against them to be struck from the roll because of the State's failure to seek their explanation in relation to the charges against them.

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