will the scorpions caseload survive intact? 
05 May 2008

The Scorpions will soon be dead and buried, but their caseload will survive, if the drafters of the General Law Amendment Bill have their way.
The bill, along with the National Prosecuting Amendment Bill, has been approved by the cabinet and is expected to be tabled this week for processing. ANC MPs hope it will be on the statute books by July.

A government official who has seen the draft law said at the weekend the Scorpions' caseload would be inherited by the proposed new unit.  But a different view in the ANC parliamentary caucus could overturn that, given that the ruling party can force amendments through during the processing phase of the bill.

ANC caucus chairperson Nathi Mthethwa recently proposed a system "to ensure the new unit does not inherit old cases from the Scorpions that did not fall within its mandate".

This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on May 05, 2008

Angela Quintal, www.iol.co.za