State Capture Inquiry hears no evidence of racketeering against Booysen
The State Capture Inquiry has heard that there wasn't a shred of evidence to back up the racketeering charges that were brought against former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head - Johan Booysen and other members of the now disbanded Cato Manor Serious and Violent Crimes Unit.
Former NPA head, Mxoilisi Nxasana has been testifying before the commission.
He says suspended deputy NPA head, Nomgcobo Jiba has signed the charges against Booysen - as she was acting NDPP at the time.
Nxasana says Jiba later told him in a meeting that she had relied on racketeering experts to reach her decision to prosecute.
He says some of those experts were present at the meeting.
Nxasana has told the Commission that he had mentioned at the meeting that he personally known some of the victims of the so-called Cato Manor death squad.
"I said to them - I understand that you mustn't be carried away by the racketeering charges. You may also consider the predicate charges - murder, accessory to murder, conspiracy to murder - if there is any. But really, in the docket there is no evidence of racketeering against General Booysen," he said.
The case was dismissed in 2014 after the High Court found Jiba's decision to charge them had been irrational and unlawful.
The charges were later re-instated by the NPA.
