According to the constitution, every person arrested on suspicion of committing an offense has the right to be released from custody if the interests of justice permit, under reasonable circumstances.
With the child of the accused kingpin Gerhard Ackerman rearrested after being in the wind since most of Friday, the question should be asked about whether he remains on bail after the alleged co-conspirator Paul Kennedy passed away.
Did the NPA drop the ball?
Did the National Prosecuting Authority drop the ball by not asking for Kennedy’s bail to be revoked when he was the man accused of facing 740 counts of rape, abuse and child trafficking?
Kennedy allegedly committed the crime while being released on bail for another case of similar charges in Alexandra, which led to his arrest in July 2021. When he was arrested, Kennedy was allegedly in possession of a cell phone with 253 child pornography videos.
The indictment also alleges he had a laptop containing 382 similar images. It is now up to the Minister of Justice and Corrections Ronald Lamola to act quickly by ensuring that this never happens again.
In March last year, the parents of one of the victims said they were “truly disappointed and appalled by the actions of the state”, calling it a travesty of justice. “The sheer ineptness, lack of action, failure to apply thought and disregard for children has resulted in many more children being abused,” he said.
The ball is in your court, Minister Lamola.