The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is to prosecute Alexi Bizos, son of human right’s lawyer, George Bizos, for allegedly assaulting his wife.
Civil rights group, AfriForum, announced on Wednesday that the NPA would prosecute Bizos after it applied pressure on the NPA for a certificate to enable it to privately prosecute Bizos.
Bizos is charged with assault to do grievous bodily harm after allegedly assaulting his wife, Monique van Oosterhout and breaking her ribs in March 2015.
In September 2015, the NPA issued a certificate that it would not prosecute Bizos. That decision has now been overturned.
Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, says the NPA didn’t give any reasons for changing its decision.
“They said we were busy with an abuse of the process and that it’s prejudicial to other parties and impermissible in law. We then took them on further. We wrote to the NPA and engaged the NPA and did further investigation and then last week we got a letter from Mr Chauke saying that the NPA has reversed their decision not to prosecute and they will prosecute Mr Alexi Bizos on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.”
Alexi Bizos reacts to AfriForum
Meanwhile, Alexi Bizos has responded, saying he stands by his statement issued through his attorney on February 27 2018. He says he has nothing more to say for now.
Bizos lambasted the lobby group for making the announcement of his prosecution. He says “I find it strange that AfriForum is making this announcement, as I have not heard such an announcement from the NPA, and the NPA has at no time contacted me in regard to this matter…”
