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Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services has condemned the break-in at the offices of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which led to the theft of two laptops belonging to prosecutors and hard drives.

Committee Chairperson Dr Mathole Motshekga expressed concern regarding this latest break-in at a security institution, saying this could spark a fear that these organisations or institutions tasked with investigating or prosecuting cases are being targeted.

The NPA burglary is believed to have occurred during the early hours of this morning when thieves gained access to the highly secure Church Square building in Pretoria. Once inside‚ they made their way to the second floor‚ bypassing several offices.

They then went to several rooms‚ apparently used by prosecuting staff‚ and climbed into them through windows above the doors. The burglary follows a similar break-in earlier this year at the Office of the Chief Justice in Midrand, where computers were stolen from the human resources department and also a burglary last week at the offices of the Hawks.

Dr Motshekga appealed to the South African Police Services and other authorities to speedily complete its investigation on the matter and to inalise court cases on it. “This cannot be allowed to happen in a constitutional democracy. Institutions fighting crime cannot become targets of crime.”

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, Dr Mathole Motshekga