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NPA’s Shamila Batohi addresses a media conference.
The National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi says she will not step down from her position.
This after several calls by some members of Parliament’s Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee, during a meeting where the NPA appeared to address the matter of televangelist Timothy Omotoso’s acquittal.
Nigerian Omotoso and his two co-accused were acquitted last month on charges of rape of several of his church congregants, human trafficking and racketeering.
Presiding over the matter, Judge Irma Schoeman also made scathing remarks about the competence and conduct of prosecutors on the matter.
Members from the EFF and MK called on Batohi to resign, because they say under her leadership the NPA is declining, and the fight against Gender Based Violence has been dealt a blow.
But Batohi told MPs that she has no such plans.
“I took office at end of state capture, had to turn around a captured authority.
We have done incredibly good work to turn around NPA, now professional, well run, with professional prosecutors.
At this point very proud of NPA work and I have no intention of stepping down.”
The initial prosecution team was removed from the case, following reports of misconduct that victims were allegedly encouraged to commit perjury.
Schoeman said the prosecutors’ cross-examination of the accused was shallow and lacking the intention to uncover the truth.
