PP’s litigation against Ivan Pillay cost R4m

Former South African Revenue Service (Sars) deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay said that litigation challenging the Public Protector’s adverse findings against him had reached R4 million. 

Much of this bill will have to be footed by the Public Protector’s Office.

Pillay is testifying from abroad on Friday, in Mkhwebane’s impeachment inquiry being held at Parliament. 

But Mkhwebane’s legal team have dismissed the court judgments against her as largely inaccurate.

Pillay said that he never felt that he was the direct target of Mkhwebane’s report on the so-called rogue unit within the revenue service. 

‘I’ve always felt that there were bigger issues at play, and that it was actually the capture of Sars and that is a reason why so much pressure was brought to bear on us in Sars, and many other people in the country. I have never felt I was a personal target,’ Pillay said.

Mkhwebane’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu, has taken issue with extracts from court judgments highlighting bias on the part of the Public Protector against Pillay being read into the record. 

‘Apart from the fact that a judgment is an opinion of a court, all these judgments are wrong, factually and otherwise. Must I admit to all that fake news?’

Mpofu has also once again highlighted to the committee that he believes that the inquiry is both unlawful and illegal.