The Congress of the People says African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule must not dictate to the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority on how they should conduct arrests.
The party says there is nothing wrong with the media accompanying the Hawks when they go and make their arrests.
COPE was responding to Magashule’s remarks earlier regarding Hawks’ recent arrests of government officials linked to the Free State asbestos project.
Magashule warns Hawks against what he referred to as ‘Hollywood style arrests’:
“It is totally unacceptable that ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, must keep on dictating to the Hawks and NPA how they must treat him when they come to arrest him. This dictatorship must stop. Ace Magashule is no better than any other suspect who must be arrested. As far as we know we don’t have VIP suspects or ordinary suspects. All suspects of crime must be treated the same,” says COPE National Spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, in a statement.
Magashule said that the Hawks’ recent approach is the same as that of the Scorpions.
“Ace must stop talking about the Scorpions Hollywood Style arrests. Scorpions were a very effective anti-corruption unit that his party, the ANC, disbanded because it was arresting corrupt ANC members,” says Bloem.
The party says Magashule should be arrested for the corruption allegations made against him at the State Commission Inquiry.
