State Capture Enquiry

Zondo reprimands lawyer for being disruptive during proceedings

Our founder and Managing Partner, Andre Pienaar, was recently in the news for appearing on behalf of a client who was an implicated party in state capture and money laundering. In course of the Commission’s legal representatives interrogation of APAA’s client, Andre Pienaar raised various and numerous objections to the relevance of the line of questioning of his client, claiming the commission was casting aspersions against him and was warned by the Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo against being disruptive during proceedings.

Andre explains that a legal representatives sole function is to study the facts, research the law and represent his client’s interests without fear or favour and this was exactly what he was doing at the state capture inquiry. In failing to do so, a legal representative would be remiss in the defence of their client and the right to legal counsel is such a fundamental right that it is enshrined in section 35 of the South African Constitution together with the presumption of innocence.