Deputy Chief Justice and Chairperson of the State Capture Commission Raymond Zondo has refuted allegations by former Correctional Services Commissioner Arthur Fraser that he was denied an opportunity to testify before the Commission and cross examine witnesses who implicated him in wrongdoing.
The Commission was reacting to allegations made by Fraser in his objections to the nomination of Zondo in the race for the next Chief Justice.
In a letter sent to the Panel of Eminent Persons which is processing the nominations, Fraser hit out at Justice Zondo saying that he was neither fit to be a judge nor a Chief Justice.
Fraser claims that making Zondo the new head of the judiciary would have a corrosive effect on the integrity of the judiciary and will harm the future of the country’s constitutional democracy.
The Commission said it is only Fraser who can explain why he has never lodged an application for leave to give evidence if he wanted to testify.
The Commission however confirmed that Fraser filed an application for leave to cross-examine certain witnesses and that application is yet to be decided.
In the video below, Advocate Paul Hoffman says while Fraser has a right to make an opinion, he should be careful not to make baseless accusations against a senior judge:
