Court bid to save Gordhan
Freedom Under Law (FUL) and the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) have applied to court to have criminal charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, dropped.
The Helen Suzman Foundation's Piet Olivier says they wrote to the NPA last week calling for the charges to be withdrawn, but have received no response.
"We've spoken to our attorneys and the charges against the Minister of Finance are completely baseless. At best, the charges reveal dizzying incompetence at the NPA and the Hawks. At worst, they confirm our suspicions: that the criminal justice system is being undermined to serve particular political interests," he said.
Gordhan was served with a summons to appear in court on 2 November on a charge of fraud relating to the pay-out of Sars Deputy Commissioner Ivan Pillay's early retirement.
"The application by FUL and the HSF does not seek to protect particular individuals, or to take any side in factional battles. It is about protecting the machinery of the state from being undermined for malign purposes, thereby also preventing further damage to our fragile economy at a sensitive time."