Scorpions (South Africa)
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The Directorate of Special Operations (also, DSO or Scorpions) is a multidisciplinary agency that investigates and prosecutes organized crime and corruption. It is a unit of The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa. The staff of 2000 Scorpions consist of the best police, financial, forensic and intelligence experts of South Africa.
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[edit] Mission
The Scorpions came into operation on 12 January 2001. This Investigating Directorate has the investigative capacity to prioritise and to investigate particularly serious criminal or unlawful conduct committed in an organised fashion, or certain offences or unlawful conduct, with the objective of prosecuting such offences and investigating unlawful conduct in the most efficient and effective manner.
As a multidisciplinary agency the Directorate investigates and prosecutes organised crime and corruption, in order to ensure a safe and secure environment which is conducive to both growth and development.
The NPA structure includes the National Prosecuting Services (NPS), the Directorate: Special Operations (DSO), the Witness-Protection Programme, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and specialised units such as the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit and the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit. The Scorpions is governed by the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 32 of 1998, which provided the Directorate with the necessary investigative powers. The DSO is headed by a Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions, Leonard McCarthy, and an accounting officer, Marion Sparg. It has two (2) main Directorates, namely
- Strategic and Investigative Support; and
- Operations
[edit] The main purpose of the Operations Directorate
Managing and overseeing all functions relating to operations; Authorisation, review, reporting of all investigations and prosecutions;
The Directorate of Special Operations is specifically mandated to deal with crimes committed in an organized fashion (high-level crimes of national impact). The DSO has initiated a number of nationally coordinated projects into high-level organised crime. These include investigations into:
- Trans-national drug trafficking,
- Human smuggling and trafficking
- Cross-departmental corruption in Provincial Governments.
[edit] Key strategic crime focus areas
The broad legislative mandate of the DSO has been narrowed down to four crime focus areas:
- Organized Crime;
- Organized Corruption;
- Serious and Complex Financial Crime; and
- Racketeering and Money Laundering;
[edit] History
In June 1999, president Thabo Mbeki announced that "a special and adequately staffed and equipped investigative unit will be established urgently, to deal with all national priority crime, including police corruption". In September 1999 The Directorate of Special Operations was set up, with the first director Frank Dutton.
Soon, the Scorpions became notorious for their raids of houses of high-ranking politicians within the ANC Party. Following investigations of alleged corruption in case of the South African Arms Deal, raids were commenced at the houses of Deputy President Jacob Zuma, former Transport Minister Mac Maharaj and Durban businessman Schabir Shaik.
After the conviction of Shaik on 8 June 2005, the Scorpions raided his house again on 18 August. This time it was part of a couple of raids in investigation for the corruption trial of Zuma, which started in October 2005. Raids were also conducted at houses of Jacob Zuma himself. These raids were heavily criticized by COSATU, accusing that the NPA and the judicial system are capable of being manipulated and influenced to take biased political decisions and actions. Just a few days before the raids, the COSATU had asked the government to drop charges against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma and to reinstate him.
The DSO pioneered a new approach, which combines intelligence, investigation and prosecution. With the DSO's success in high-profile cases, public confidence grew in the Directorate's ability to impact on organised crime. Money laundering and racketeering were added to its priorities and the DSO succeeded in obtaining the first-ever convictions for racketeering in South Africa.
By February 2004, the DSO had completed 653 cases, comprising 273 investigations and 380 prosecutions.
Of the 380 prosecutions, 349 resulted in convictions, representing an average conviction rate of 93,1%.
[edit] Merging With the SAPS
After allegations of corruption, the ANC decided to merge the Scorpions with the Police by June 2008, reducing their power.[1] The disbandment was recommended by South Africa's minister of safety and security, Charles Nqakula.[2] This decision is controversial, and has been opposed by groups ranging from opposition parties to organised business. [3] The Democratic Alliance has accused the ANC of merging the Scorpions with the SAPS in order to protect corrupt ANC officials.[4]
