Judge bars Open Secrets from joining Absa-Bankorp case as a ‘friend of the court’
The organisation is told it ‘wants to advance an entirely new course of action, which falls outside the ambit of the main issue’
Non-profit organisation Open Secrets on Tuesday lost its bid to join as an amicus curiae in the matter between the Public Protector, Absa, the Reserve Bank and the Finance Minister in relation to the Absa-Bankorp report. The hearing of the case into the so-called Absa-Bankorp lifeboat began with an application by Open Secrets to join the matter as a friend of the court. This followed concerns by Open Secrets that the High Court’s determination could close the door on the investigation of apartheid-era economic crimes altogether. Open Secrets describes itself as an independent non-profit “with a mission to promote private-sector accountability for economic crime and related human rights violations in Southern Africa”. “All we want is to ensure the court does not make an order that prevents further investigation of apartheid-era economic crimes,” Open Secrets’ advocate Seena Yacoob said. “Open Secrets does not take a position on the issue between the parties.” But Judge Dawie Fourie...
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