National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi has moved Willie Hofmeyr back to the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), Business Live reported on Wednesday. 

He was removed as head of the AFU, after serving in the post since 1999, by Shaun Abrahams in 2015.

After his appointment in 2015, Abrahams made sweeping changes that resulted in former deputy director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba being promoted to the position of head of national prosecution services – the highest decision-making body in the organisation, City Press reported. 

Hofmeyr, a longtime senior in the organisation, was moved to legal services and was replaced by advocate Pinky Mokgatla.

According to Times Live, Hofmeyr’s return to the once-powerful unit is part of a series of imminent changes at the prosecuting authority, as Batohi enters her third month in office.

In January, Hofmeyr gave evidence before the Mokgoro inquiry, which was set up to investigate the fitness to hold office of Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi. 

Jiba and Mrwebi were suspended in October 2018 after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his decision to institute the Mokgoro inquiry. Jiba is the Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions and Mrwebi is head of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

"A very concerning development trend that emerged under Jiba, and was almost insitutionalised by Abrahams, was to prosecute those who were perceived as obstacles to corruption and the capture of the state," Hofmeyr told the inquiry, News24 reported. 

According to the NPA, the AFU has the power to seize assets that are the proceeds of crime or that have been used to commit crime. Its main focus is organised crime, drug-related crime, serious violent crime and serious economic crime and corruption.

Hofmeyr was admitted as an attorney in 1991 and holds a master's degree in economics. 

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