Freedon Under Law echoes calls to protect investigators and whistleblowers in high-profile cases

JOHANNESBURG – Freedom Under Law has joined the call for protection of investigators and whistleblowers in high-profile criminal cases.

The non-governmental organization also wants law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible for the killings and intimidation of individuals seeking to expose crimes are brought to justice.

This follows the attempted murder of lawyer Coreth Naude in Durban on Thursday.

READ ALSO: SARS says it will continue to work with police to protect its officers

Naudé is acting on behalf of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in a tax investigation into controversial businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize.

Two unknown gunmen reportedly fired several shots at Naude’s car on Thursday as she approached the parking lot of a hotel in uMhlanga.

The lawyer returned from Mkhize’s tax investigation.

Freedom Under Law described the attack as a chilling reminder of the dangerous elements in society who would use violence to hide the truth.

“The Naude shooting follows the murder of Bosasa’s liquidators Thomas and Cloete Murray, the murder of Detective Constable Charl Kinnear of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit, who was investigating organised crime cases, and the murder of Gauteng Health whistleblower Babita Deokaran.”

At the same time, SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has condemned the act as an attempt to intimidate court officials.