Corruption Watch calls for urgent investigation into Murray murders

South African anti-corruption organisation Corruption Watch is calling for a thorough investigation into the killing of accountant and insolvency practitioner Cloete Murray to commence without delay and for perpetrators to be brought to book.

The non-profit organisation released a joint statement with Transparency International on Thursday, condemning the violent attack which also resulted in the killing of Murray’s son Thomas Murray.

Corruption Watch executive director Karam Singh said that the two murders, which took place in Johannesburg on Saturday, 19 March, are evidence that the country is battling a rule of law crisis, further affecting citizens’ confidence in law enforcement’s willingness to act against crime.

“As the most recent example, the brazen murder of Cloete Murray and his son sends a chilling and intimidating message to anyone seeking to end impunity for corruption and crime. This must represent a turning of the tide for our country.”

“Authorities must act now to urgently investigate this case and take steps to strengthen crime-fighting apparatuses and institutions,” Singh said.

“Failure to investigate this killing as a matter of the highest priority will have a devastating impact on the struggle to curb violence and corruption.”

Cloete’s death comes after he was appointed by the courts as liquidator for African Global Operations (formerly known as Bosasa). The company is one of many that came up in evidence presented at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture, chaired by now Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

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Assassination allegations

In a separate statement, Freedom Under Law’s Judge Johann Kriegler also condemned the killings of the Murrays, further raising concerns that the murders may have been linked to Cloete’s investigative work.

“Cloete Murray’s involvement in such high-profile, politically connected matters raises serious concerns about the possibility of the killing being an assassination linked to matters investigated by him.”

Kriegler likened the murders to that of Anti-Gang Unit police officer Charl Kinnear and that of Babita Deokaran, a Gauteng department of health whistle-blower who was killed after flagging alleged corrupt activity at the department.

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“These events raise fundamental concerns that those who threaten to expose corruption are themselves at risk of assassination. They point to murder being used as a tool to delay, distort, and pervert the course of the law. This situation is untenable.”

“The killing of individuals such as the Murrays, court-appointed liquidators and trustees, has a potentially chilling effect on key role players in the justice system, who should be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.

“The killings are a fundamental threat to the rule of law and to our constitutional democracy,” he added.

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