Prosecuting Authority makes turnabout: Bizos to be prosecuted after Gerrie Nel intervenes
19 December 2018
The civil rights organisation AfriForum announced today that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Gauteng made a turnabout in the case against Alexis Bizos, son of George Bizos, by in fact deciding to prosecute him.
The DPP reconsidered its decision and decided to institute prosecution against Bizos on a charge of assault on his wife after Adv. Gerrie Nel, Head of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, applied for a nolle prosequi certificate to enable the civil rights organisation to institute private prosecution against Bizos.
Bizos broke six of the ribs of his wife, Monique van Oosterhout, when he assaulted her.
After the DPP initially decided not to prosecute Bizos, Van Oosterhout approached AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit for help. Nel subsequently indicated on 27 February 2018 that he wants to privately prosecute Bizos and requested a nolle prosequi certificate. AfriForum argued that Bizos was not prosecuted due merely to his father’s political connections and that the organisation wants to ensure that nobody is deemed above the law.