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RIAH
SHOOTS FROM THE LIP
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SA’s top cop comes out guns blazing over charge of defeating ends of
justice
CRIME intelligence investigations have found that a high-ranking police officer from the Western Cape was getting free fuel, paid holidays and a salary from a druglord. In return, the policeman would tip the druglord off when there were anti-crime operations or raids. He even transferred a detective who was probing the druglord. Now national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega, who allegedly alerted the senior officer to crime intelligence’s investigation and interception of his telephone calls, is being accused of defeating the ends of justice. The DA today called for Phiyega to be investigated for defeating the ends of justice – allegations which were “of great concern”. DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said she would write to the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, today to ascertain what steps were being taken against Phiyega. “I will also follow up on my original question to determine whether the senior police official is in fact being investigated,” she said. Yesterday Kohler Barnard said she had asked a question in Parliament about the same senior officer after she received a tip-off that he had been under investigation by the Hawks for taking a bribe of R20 000 from an alleged criminal. She said Phiyega should have known that discussing the investigation with the senior policeman was against the law. “Even if you don’t know anything about policing, this should have been the last thing Phiyega would have done,” she said. Phiyega has come out fighting this morning. “You can try as much as you like, but you will not succeed. “No mud thrown at me will stick,” she told The Star when asked to respond to allegations that she breached national security by alerting the senior manager that he was under investigation. Phiyega was reportedly informed about the officer’s imminent arrest by crime intelligence. A highly placed source said: “The person is one of the top police brass, so it was important to inform the national commissioner.” On October 19, acting divisional commissioner for crime intelligence and protection services Major-General Chris Ngcobo instructed crime intelligence officers in Cape Town to open a case against Phiyega after listening to a transcript of a conversation between her and the officer. Ngcobo also wrote a letter to the inspector-general on the same day, informing him of his instruction. Phiyega then reportedly summoned Ngcobo to an urgent meeting during which he was told that he would be placed on special leave because it had emerged during a vetting process that there were discrepancies in his qualifications and that he could therefore not obtain a security clearance. A crime intelligence application for permission to intercept the cellphone of the alleged druglord precipitated the chain of events. The spies reportedly discovered during the probe that a member of the police’s top brass was in cahoots with the druglord and was helping him to evade the police. “At first they (crime intelligence members) picked up that the senior police officer was one of the suspect’s regular callers. They started following this officer and, at one point, he was seen at the druglord’s house,” said a source, who wanted to remain anonymous. This prompted an application to intercept his phone and a probe into his finances. “This senior police officer was taking the large sum of money that he was getting from the druglord and using it to gamble at a casino,” the source said. “He would change the money into coins and would end up not spending all of it. “That way, he would be getting the clean money from the casino.” THE COMMISSIONER RESPONDS THE NATIONAL commissioner has not formally been informed of a case which has been opened against her. She is, however, aware of it. Although the national commissioner does not expect her colleagues to behave in such an underhanded manner, it comes as no surprise, given some of the mischievous activities conducted by crime intelligence in the past. It is clear this is a lame attempt by certain individuals within crime intelligence to discredit the national commissioner and derail the process of flushing out those within the SAPS who have no integrity and have no interest in taking the SAPS forward. It is interesting that this matter surfaces through some faceless people shortly after the national commissioner’s decision to put the former acting divisional commissioner on special leave to allow for criminal and disciplinary investigations to be conducted. The national commissioner’s message to these individuals follows: “You can try as much as you like, but you will not succeed. No mud thrown at me will stick. I remain determined to ensure that nothing, absolutely nothing, deters me and my leadership team from the new journey of rebuilding SAPS, especially the crime intelligence division.” Our information is that this matter has been handed to Ipid (Independent Police Investigative Directorate) for investigation. We will await Ipid to contact us should they intend to continue with the matter. The facts are as follows: A parliamentary question was received from the DA as to whether there was an investigation into a bribery matter against a certain provincial commissioner. In the normal process of gathering information to enable the department to prepare a response on the minister’s behalf, the DA enquiry ended up in the provincial commissioner’s office after passing through various officials. It was at that point that the provincial commissioner called the national commissioner to enquire about the investigation. It, therefore, cannot be argued that the national commissioner alerted the provincial commissioner about the investigation. Simply put, there was no crime committed by the national commissioner. By Solly Maphumulo - solly.maphumulo@inl.co.za The Star 25/10/13 Late Edition |
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Crimes of the South African Police Service
