Police boss 'lied to committee'
News | 15
February 2017
Mayibongwe
Maqhina
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) boss Robert
McBride has hit back at acting national commissioner of police
Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane for claiming not to have been notified
about a probe into him.
Briefing the portfolio committee on police yesterday, McBride said
Phahlane’s recent denials to the committee were false.
Acting
national commissioner of police Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane
“We have documentary proof that not only was he informed about it,
but his own signature is on the document asking his PA (personal assistant) to
schedule a meeting regarding the case, and that’s as early as June 2016,”
McBride said.
He also said they had proof that Phahlane had met with former acting
executive director Israel Kgamanyane to discuss the investigation.
He added: “Unfortunately for Phahlane, we have recordings of every
interview.”
Phahlane is facing an Ipid probe in connection with his R8 million
house and a fleet of vehicles as well as links with a service provider that did
business with the police when he headed the forensic unit.
McBride also told MPs that the police watchdog had several
statements and documented proof, including bank statements, of events that
implicated Phahlane in corruption, money laundering, fraud and defeating the
ends of justice.
“We also found that there is a pattern of whistle-blowers being
harassed, threatened and victimised,” he said.
Asked what he made of the arrests of private investigator Paul
O’Sullivan and his lawyer, McBride said it was an attempt to disrupt the Ipid
investigation.
“It is intimidation and it is contravention of section 33 of the
Ipid Act. There is already a defeating the ends of justice case which is based
on the fact that General Phahlane called people to not co-operate with us. We
have statements to that effect,” he said.
McBride’s Ipid colleague Matthews Sisoko brushed off criticism of
the search warrant Ipid obtained to conduct a raid at Phahlane’s house, saying
it was lawfully obtained.
