Independent Newspapers
(File image) Glynnis Breytenbach. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu
Johannesburg – The disciplinary hearing of suspended NPA prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach will enter its third day in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The hearing began on Monday with hours of technical arguments at the offices of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Silverton, Pretoria. It has been set down for five days.
On Tuesday, NPA integrity management unit acting senior manager Hercules Wasserman told the hearing that emails found on Breytenbach’s laptop could amount to unethical conduct.
He said his team had found a number of emails between Breytenbach and Mike Hellens, senior counsel for iron ore miner Kumba.
Wasserman said his unit was asked to investigate Breytenbach, following a complaint by Mendelow Jacobs Attorneys on behalf of Imperial Crown Trading (ICT) in December last year.
This related to a dispute between ICT and Sishen/Kumba Iron Ore over mining rights, which Breytenbach investigated.
The NPA alleged Breytenbach failed to act impartially in favouring Sishen over ICT in her probe, and that she had an improper relationship with Hellens.
Wasserman said the emails indicated Hellens drafted affidavits for Breytenbach, which was particularly concerning, as they related to a criminal matter.
Breytenbach has pleaded not guilty to 16 charges brought against her by the NPA.
In addition to charges relating to her conduct in investigating the Sishen dispute, she is charged with gross insubordination and improper conduct for allegedly not handing over her work laptop to the NPA, and for having information on it deleted.
Other charges relate to Breytenbach bringing the NPA into disrepute by speaking to the media, either directly or via her attorney, without authorisation.
On July 18, the Johannesburg Labour Court dismissed Breytenbach’s challenge against her suspension. She had contended that acting national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba suspended her in an attempt to stop her from prosecuting former police crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli. – Sapa
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Breytenbach hearing enters third day