13 Mar 2016

The Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi has told Parliament that before 2014, the law that dealt with forfeiture of assets that was in use was the Proceeds of Serious Crime Act, Chapter 08:03, which provided for the forfeiture of assets of serious crimes upon conviction.

Mr Kgathi said all corruption and economic crime cases prosecuted during that period did not result in any order for forfeiture with the result that there were no assets forfeited.

He said the law has since been replaced with the new law being the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act of 2014 commenced on January 2015.

With the coming of this act, there is now provision for forfeiture proceedings to be made regardless of whether the trial results with a conviction or not, adding that this law is non-conviction based and to this end asserts could be forfeited even in the event of an acquittal.

MP for Selibe Phikwe West Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had wanted the Minister to state the kind of assets, the value and the amount of money forfeited after successful prosecution of corruption and economic crime criminal cases since 2008. ENDS