Key role players in the justice system should be able to do their jobs unhindered, says the organisation.
Freedom Under Law on Friday said it had noted, with concern, reports of the assassination attempt on SA Reserve Service (Sars) advocate Coreth Naudé in Durban yesterday.
Naudé is acting for Sars in a tax inquiry involving Royal AM football club owner, Shauwn Mkhize.
Naudé was shot multiple times in her vehicle in uMhlanga, Durban, on Thursday after she left Mkhize’s tax inquiry.
Judith February, the executive officer at Freedom Under Law, said: “It is yet another brutal and chilling reminder of the dangerous elements within our society who would use violence to silence truth.”
February said the brazen attempt on Naudé’s life raised serious concerns about the possibility it being an assassination linked to matters Naudé investigated.
“Such killings are, sadly, not unique. There have been others, notably; the assassination of Bosasa liquidators Thomas and Cloete Murray, the murder of Anti-Gang Unit police officer Charl Kinnear, who was investigating cases involving organised crime, and the murder of Gauteng Department of Health whistle-blower Babita Deokaran, who was killed after flagging a series of suspicious and potentially fraudulent transactions. In addition, forensic investigator Zenzele Sithole was shot dead in Johannesburg last week,” February said.
Freedom Under Law said the events, apart from causing unspeakable pain to the families of the victims, raised concerns that those who threatened to expose corruption were themselves at risk of assassination. They pointed to murder being used as a tool to delay, distort and pervert the course of the law.
“This situation is untenable,” it added, saying, “The attempted assassination of Naudé has a potentially chilling effect on key role players in the justice system, who should be able to do their jobs unhindered.”
Freedom Under Law wished Naudé a full and speedy recovery from the horrific attempt on her life and called on law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible for the killing were speedily brought to justice.
“In a functional democracy, judges, lawyers, prosecutors, investigators and all responsible for law enforcement must be able to do their jobs without fear of losing their lives,” it said.
On Thursday night, Sars Commissioner Edward Kieswetter condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the attempted assassination of Naudé.
Kieswetter said: “This shocking act is intended to intimidate officers of court to abandon the vital work they’re performing in furtherance of our country’s legal system. It undermines the authority of the state. Acts such as these and those who perpetrate it, must be resisted and defeated by all of us working together for the betterment of our country and ensuring that none is above the law.
“Sars call on our law enforcement agencies to act with speed is pursuing and arresting those who attempted to take a life of advocate Naudé. Sars wishes advocate Naudé speedy recovery and wish her family well. We will not be intimidated by such acts of crime and cowardice,” Kieswetter said.
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