Scorpions head of operations Jeff Ledwaba has handed in his resignation.

This comes in the wake of an exodus of other senior management from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), sparking concern over the future of the elite crime-busting unit in its present form under the Justice Department.

Independent Newspapers has learnt that Ledwaba is to quit his post after three years in his present position. However, NPA spokesperson Sipho Ngwema, who is one of those who has resigned, would neither confirm nor deny Ledwaba's impending departure.

"He is looking at various options," Ngwema said.

Ledwaba, who has been in the Justice Department for more than 21 years, served as deputy to the head of the Scorpions, advocate Leonard McCarthy. As head of operations, Ledwaba has been responsible for approving all investigations by the Scorpions.

The NPA has been hit by a string of resignations, including head of crime information and analysis Rudolph Maastenbroek, head of finance Bridget Mohlala, head of Scorpions training Rubin Richards and head of information technology Alta Terreblanche.

Lungisa Dyosi, who served as former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka's strategic adviser, has also since left. Wayne Malgas, previously from the National Intelligence Agency, who assisted the Scorpions as chief investigator, has also resigned.

It is also understood that the resignations of several junior investigators are on the cards.

The spate of resignations has sparked concern over the Scorpions' future and raised the possibility that the unit will eventually be incorporated into the SA Police Service.

Ngwema denied having any knowledge of such a move.

The Scorpions have, in their six years of existence, gone after several high-profile public figures, including former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. They have come in for criticism over their publicity-driven arrests and convictions.

ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe accused the unit of applying "Hollywood tactics" when pursuing senior politicians.

Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi is another critic of the Scorpions and is on record about the need to rein them in under SAPS control.

How the Scorpions will conduct their business in future, and whether the unit will remain within the Justice Department or under the SAPS, is a question that will have to be answered by the new NPA boss, advocate Vusi Pikoli.

With acknowledgements to Karima Brown and The Star.