The Judicial Conduct Committee has recommended a tribunal investigate two complaints against Western Cape High Court Judge Mushtak Parker, which if established, could indicate gross misconduct.
In the decision, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the acting chairperson of the committee, said if the allegations in both complaints were proven, it would constitute gross misconduct on the part of Parker.
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In the decision, Zondo said "if the first complaint is established, it seems that it will mean that the respondent [Parker] has acted dishonestly in giving two contradictory and mutually exclusive versions about the incident that happened in his chambers between himself and Judge President Hlophe on 25 February 2019".
The second complaint, laid by the Cape Bar Council, is also about Parker's alleged dishonesty relating to not disclosing a trust deficit in the trust account of his law firm and not declaring this to the commission before he became a judge.
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"With regard to the second complaint, we consider that, if it is established, it will prima facie indicate gross misconduct on the part of the respondent," Zondo said.
