Public Protector Faces Perjury Charges

The National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, is facing perjury charges.

This follows a perjury complaint by Accountability Now director Paul Hoffman.

According to court documents, Mkhwebane is due to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on 21 January.

Accountability Now said it would be writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa asking him to suspend Mkhwebane pending the outcome of her criminal case.

She is being accused of not being honest in the way she investigated a loan from the South African Reserve Bank to Bankcorp – which now forms part of Absa.

The confirmation comes after a ruling by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, that the office does not have powers to subpoena confidential taxpayer information.