Business Against Crime CEO Anton du Plessis believes that the rapid expansion of the illicit economy and extortion in major business sectors are the greatest threats to legitimate business.
Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Tuesday the former deputy prosecutions boss said impunity for these crimes will allow them to flourish.
He said that the situation requires the correct crime response if their proliferation is to be stopped.
Du Plessis said that government can’t fight corruption alone, and it’s why he’s now approaching it from a different perspective having resigned from the National Prosecuting Authority last year.
He noted that much of the country’s expertise in financial investigation, cybersecurity, digital forensics and artificial intelligence, sits outside of the state.
Du Plessis believes that while the private sector should share their capabilities with public institutions, this should be time bound and include a transfer of skills.
“It cannot become a blank cheque. Private influence over investigators or dependence on donated systems or personnel will not work.”
He said that while not all extortion cases can be prosecuted, the criminal justice system should focus its attention on dismantling syndicates.
“You take the 80/20 principle approach that the Scorpions did in the early 2000s. You will have the biggest prevention impact if you start prosecuting these cases more effectively.”
Next month BACSA plans to launch a third phase of its partnership with government to improve the performance of state institutions.
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