Scorpions go job-hunting

2008-12-01 17:31

Michael Hamlyn

Cape Town - Three hundred and sixty-four officials resigned from the National Prosecuting Authority between January 1 2006 and September 27 2008, and a quarter of these (89) came from the Department of Special Operations (DSO or the Scorpions).

Enver Surty, the justice and constitutional affairs minister, gave these figures on Monday in a written answer to a question from Len Joubert of the Democratic Alliance.

In addition, half (194) of the resignations came from the National Prosecution Service.

The Scorpions staff members have been feeling decidedly insecure ever since the ANC decided in Polokwane a year ago to shut the unit down and amalgamate it with the police.

Many of the investigators did not want to be at the mercy of the police hierarchy, and available for posting to any other police department. Some may also have feared the vengeance of the pro-Selebi hierarchy.

It has long been said that the Scorpions have had such a good reputation that they should find it easy to obtain other jobs either in the private sector in South Africa or in other countries.

Prosecutors too have enjoyed the 85% success rate of DSO investigations.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)