/ 10 October 2008

Surty vows not interfere with NPA

Newly appointed Justice Minister Enver Surty on Friday vowed he would not ”cross the line” and interfere with the duties of the National Prosecuting Authority, provided it operated within the rule of law.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony of over 100 National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecutors, Surty said he was aware of the pressures they would face, but that they would need to act impartially and with integrity.

”Given that I am new in this portfolio, with judges fighting with judges, prosecutors fighting with prosecutors, and politicians accused of interfering with [judicial] processes; that is the kind of turbulence that is there.”

He had indicated to President Kgalema Motlanthe that he was really in the eye of the storm.

”I didn’t know that the storm was of such a nature until I visited the National Prosecuting Authority on Thursday [last week],” he said.

Surty said he would not interfere with the NPA’s decision to appeal Judge Chris Nicholson’s ruling regarding ANC president Jacob Zuma’s prosecution.

Nicholson ruled that an NPA decision to prosecute the ANC president was invalid.

Surty said he would also not meddle with former president Thabo Mbeki’s application to the Constitutional Court regarding Nicholson’ s finding that there might have been political interference in the same case. – Sapa