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‘Cops supplied explosives’
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I told him even if he had authorisation, how would he justify it if he
trained people to plant bombs and someone died in the process,’ Loots said.
A FORMER police intelligence officer yesterday testified that the police had supplied explosives to Boeremag spy JC Smit and gave him instructions to train right-wingers to plant bombs. Deon Loots, a former captain in the covert section of the police’s Crime Intelligence Unit, testified in an application by the accused for a special entry on the court record of an irregularity. If granted, it can be used on appeal for the 20 accused’s high treason convictions to be set aside. Loots testified that he had already left the police in 2000 and was in the process of transferring one of his informers, JC Smit, to Kol Louis Pretorius when Pretorius told Smit people should be trained to manufacture explosives. According to Loots the Intelligence Unit’s top structure had by then given instructions that a defensive document, known as Document 12, that was being discussed at commando meetings should be altered to make it more offensive and dangerous. Police informers were instructed to introduce the “improved” Document 12 at meetings. The changes were made over a period so as not to alert people that something was being “planted”. According to Loots he had other informers and bugged a lounge suite and JC Smit’s car so that he could check Smit’s information. Loots said Kol Pretorius had procured “harmless” explosives from a depot in the Klerksdorp area and at one stage brought an expert from the explosives factory to his house to train Smit in handling explosives. Pretorius also supplied Smit with explosives with instructions to train people in the Bela-Bela area on how to handle them. Loots said he had warned Smit numerous times not to go ahead with the plan because he did not have indemnity and would make himself guilty of a crime and also had words with Pretorius about the plan. He had nevertheless helped Smit to transport the explosives to Bela- Bela, where Smit used it to train people and tried to blow up a power line that night. On their return to Pretoria, Loots again told Smit what he was doing was wrong. “I told him even if he had authorisation, how would he justify it if he trained people to plant bombs and someone died in the process,” he said. The trial continues. By Ilse de Lange The Citizen 26/02/13 |
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Crimes of the South African Police service
