Evander prosecuter sues State
“My client is a highly decorated public prosecutor and we have good reason to believe that there are some acts of chicanery at play in order to frustrate his steady upward mobility.”
In an unprecedented move well-known prosecutor Mr Tumelo Malesa of the Evander Court is to sue his employer, the National Director of Public Prosecutions, and the police for R1.5 million after an internal enquiry found him not guilty of corruption in a ruling on 8 July.
The ruling follows hot on the heels of a decision by the Secunda Magistrate’s Court that which dismissed the case on 25 March.
The case was widely reported in the press as it involved allegations that the prosecutor and a policeman had solicited a bribe from a member of the public.
Mr Theo Mapheto, a lawyer representing Mr Malesa, said that “there was no legal basis for my client’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
“My client is a highly decorated public prosecutor and we have good reason to believe that there are some acts of chicanery at play in order to frustrate his steady upward mobility.”
Mr Mapheto further stated: “The suffering, humiliation and pain my client suffered as a result of the heavy-handedness by the State is incalculable.
“The damages far exceed the amount we are suing for, but for us it is not about the money, it is about principle”.
The National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed receipt of the letter of demand.
“We are going for the jugular.
“We know we are going to step on many toes, but we have to bring this nonsense to a complete halt”, Mr Mapheto concluded.
