Court orders Ntlemeza appointment be set aside
The North Gauteng High Court has ordered that the appointment of Berning Ntlemeza, as the head of the Hawks in 2015 be set aside.
The Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law challenged the appointment stating it was irrational since two judges had found that Ntlemeza was biased, dishonest and lacked integrity.
The lawyer representing the lobby groups David Unterhalter argued that cabinet and the Minister of Police should have considered the findings made before appointing Ntlemeza.
"These judicial pronouncements could not have simply been ignored when Ntlemeza was appointed," said Unterhalter.
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In 2016, both lobby groups lost an urgent court bid to have Ntlemeza suspended pending the review proceedings.
Legal representative for the Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law, Vlad Movshovich said Ntlemeza's tenure as the national head of the Hawks is at an end.
"The effect of the setting aside is that, retrospectively to 10 September 2015, his appointment was at all times unlawful and obviously there could be consequences in relation to that, but going forward he is certainly not the national head of the Hawks," said Movshovich.