Booysen to sue state for unlawful arrest
Former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Johan Booysen says he will sue the state for unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution.
Last Tuesday, National Prosecution Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi announced that a unanimous decision by a panel - put together to provide her with a legal opinion - to overturn the charges of racketeering.
The prosecution of Booysen and his co-accused was instituted by former NPA heads Nomgcobo Jiba and Shaun Abrahams on two separate occasions.
The charges relate to the actions of a unit of the police based in Cato Manor.
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The high court in Durban set aside Jiba’s decision to prosecute, but Abrahams reinstated the decision in 2016.
The seven-year legal battle ended in the same court when all of the charges against Booysen and members of the Cato Manor special investigating unit were withdrawn.
Booysen says he is relieved the charges have been dropped but will continue with his court application.
"I retreated a civil action against the state two years ago so I will be pursuing that.
"I filed papers two years go so I'll be talking to my legal team and send summons in due course. First of all, it'll be for unlawful arrest and then malicious prosecution."