The shortage of public prosecutors and research assistants hampers the operations of the Prosecutor General's office.

Deputy Prosecutor General Edmund Marondedze says this has led to an outcry over the lack of progress in finalising cases of money laundering and terrorism.

Marondedze addressed a stakeholders consultation and oversight workshop, organised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs at Swakopmund.

Marondedze also told the workshop that the PG's office has no website, no personal assistants, no public relations officer, and no research assistants.

"Advocates were sent out to prosecute the cases in the district courts of money laundering and financial crimes. But when this is done, it means that there will be a gap at the High Court. We all know that the judges have research assistants, we go to the Supreme Court, we have to do the research ourselves, and we have to go and present our cases ourselves."

"Prosecutors are even cleaning their own offices; they are cleaners; they are typing their work; therefore, the situation is really tense. That's why I gave it to my colleague to present because I just feel like crying because the system hates the Prosecutor General's office. It was created in 1990, but up until now, we have been working in that horrible condition," added Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa.

The Ombudsman, Basilius Dyakugha, suggested the appointment of retired prosecutors to fill the shortage.

"You could probably just use your powers to look into the retired prosecutors so that you can actually use them in certain situations that can also assist you. Because they are retired in terms of age and number but not in terms of knowledge, they are doing their work."

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Theonistha Fredericks