NDPP candidate Adrian Mopp told the interview panel that the 2008 decision to dissolve the Scorpions was an emotionally charged move rather than a rational restructuring. He said the unit’s leadership tried to preserve capacity as it was folded into the NPA.

Mopp noted that the Scorpions once had strong investigative muscle, and his comments revive the debate over whether their closure undermined South Africa’s fight against organised crime.