DURBAN - Faced with more than 735 charges of raping young boys, human trafficking, unlawful possession, creation and importing and/or exporting, and distribution of child pornography, Senior advocate and former acting judge Paul Kennedy SC, allegedly committed suicide.
Kennedy, who was also counsel for the State Capture Commission chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, was meant to appear in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg next Monday.
The state alleged that he had committed the heinous crimes between September 2020 and July 2021.
Despite Kennedy facing charges, he continued being involved in the state capture commission and being part of counsel requesting extensions for the commission that has cost the taxpayer more than a billion rand.
A lawyer who had worked closely with Kennedy told the Daily News that he was highly protected by powerful people despite being a paedophile.
The source said that he was found dead at his home after he committed suicide, adding that a close family friend who was at the scene, could not immediately confirm if he hanged himself or died from overdosing pills.
“Many had known of his shenanigans but were scared to come out and take him to task because he was a powerful man in the legal fraternity. That is why the media was not disclosing his identity even when he was facing serious charges, but if he was a black person, his name would be everywhere in the media. The pressure took its toll on him and he took the easy way out,” said the source.
Other media houses also reported on Kennedy’s death but stated that the cause was still unknown.
The alleged child molester had also represented the state after President Cyril Ramaphosa reversed appointments of senior state prosecutors that his predecessor former president Jacob Zuma, had signed just days before his resignation as head of state.
Advocates Ron Mncwabe and Raymond Mathenjwa were named directors of public prosecutions (DPP) for the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga, respectively, but their appointments were later revoked when Ramaphosa came to power in February 2018.
In his defence for revoking the appointments, Ramaphosa said:
“I was not satisfied that the persons purportedly appointed by the former president (Zuma), on the recommendation of (former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) advocate (Shaun) Abrahams, would necessarily best serve the interests of a highly effective NDPP or be in the best interests of the restructuring and revitalisation of the NDPP, as a vital organ in the justice system.”
Efforts to reach Kennedy’s family were not successful at this stage. The Daily News will keep a close eye on the story.
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