By Simon Nare
Former justice and constitutional development minister Mohamed Enver Surty has denied any political interference in, or suppression of, investigations and prosecutions arising from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) during his seven-month tenure between 2008 and 2009.
Testifying before the inquiry into the handling of TRC cases on Thursday, Surty said he had always upheld the principle that decisions to prosecute rested exclusively with the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
Appearing before the commission chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe, Surty said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was never pressured by him to pursue or halt high-profile matters.
“I state categorically that during my brief tenure as minister, I neither interfered with, influenced, or suppressed any investigation or prosecution, including investigations or prosecutions relating to the TRC matters,” he said.
Surty said he never held discussions with the NPA leadership about TRC cases and was
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