NPA Denies Sanctioning Advocate Malesela Teffo's Courtroom Arrest Shortly After the Senzo Meyiwa Murder Trial
- The National Prosecuting Authority has denied any involvement in the manner Advocate Malesela Teffo was arrested
- The department says they did not have anything to with Teffo's arrest warrant and it was issued by the Hillbrow Magistrate's Court
- South Africans are still questioning who sanctioned the dramatic arrest of the defence lawyer if it was not the NPA
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JOHANNESBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority has spoken out about the circumstance surrounding the arrest of Advocate Malesela Teffo who is the defence lawyer of four out of the five men who stand accused of slaying the famed soccer player Senzo Meyiwa.
Teffo was arrested by the police last week inside the courtroom at the Pretoria High Court shortly after court proceedings had been adjourned for the day.
The NPA says the arrest inside the courtroom was not given the go ahead by them and the Gauteng director of public prosecutions (DPP) says it was not consulted prior to the arrest and did not give go ahead for Teffo to be arrested in court, according to TimesLIVE.
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Phindi Mjonondwane, NPA spokesperson says an investigation into the allegations that the investigation officer was advised by a member of the DPP has been launched.
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Mjondowane says they were not aware of the warrant of arrest and it was actually issued by the Hillbrow Magistrate's court after Teffo missed his court date, adding that the execution of arrest warrants is usually in the purview of the police.
On Thursday, 5 May, News24 published an exclusive article stating that an internal memo from the DPP revealed that the police were advised to arrest Teffo inside court and in the full view of the media.
South Africans still have many unanswered questions
One social media, South Africans say they still want to know who gave the directive for Advocate Teffo's dramatic arrest. Some people have even noted that Mzansi is a movie.
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Here are some comments below:
@Blacksh90139340 said:
"@SAPoliceService we want to know who ordered the arrest since NPA has now distanced itself."
@SwartKat9 said:
"We don't want to know who didn't order it, we want to know who did. How difficult can it be, ask the arresting officers who gave the order? ♂"
@MatlipaGP said:
"Are they implying that the Investigating Officer decided to be a starring & acted as a lone wolf? yooooo too much drama.!"
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo slams police for arresting Advocate Malesela Teffo inside courtroom
Briefly News previously reported that Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has weighed in on the arrest of Advocate Malesela Teffo in court moments after the Senzo Meyiwa trial adjourned for the day last week. Teffo is defending four out of five men who are being accused of killing the famed soccer player.
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In a statement issued by the Office of the Chief Justice, Zondo condemned the police's conduct and found the way they carried out the arrest warrant unacceptable.
Zondo stated that upon reviewing the footage, Zondo said the fact that Teffo was arrested inside the same court he had been carrying out his work was inappropriate, according to SABC News.
Source: Briefly News