South Africa’s top cop is meeting his lawyers after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) raided his home‚ which he felt was traumatic for his family and an assault on his character.
The raid is part of a broader corruption and defeating the ends of justice investigation into Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane and alleged kickbacks he received for awarding contracts to service providers.
Directorate investigators met with Phahlane in his office on Thursday to take a warning statement from him and serve him with a search warrant for his luxury home in Pretoria’s Sable Hills Waterfront Estate at Roodeplaat Dam. Investigators spent an hour searching the R8-million property.
Ipid sources said investigators were looking for evidence of an R80 000 sound system which Phahlane is alleged to have had installed in his home in exchange for securing a tender for a service provider. The tender was to allegedly to provide chemicals to the police forensic science laboratory‚ which the commissioner used to head.
Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini declined to comment on the raid “as it is part of an ongoing operation”.
Police spokesman Brigadier Sally De Beer confirmed Phahlane met with IPID investigators at his office.
“The meeting was in connection with allegations under investigation by Ipid. Phahlane provided Ipid investigators with the sound systems proof of payment‚ but‚ despite this‚ a media circus was conducted at his home which traumatised his family.
“It is against this background that the investigation is considered an assault on Phahlane’s character and integrity. Phahlane has briefed his lawyers to take this matter forward.”
The chairperson of Freedom Under Law‚ retired judge Johann Kriegler‚ said the raid did not come as a surprise “as there has been interaction between Phahlane and McBride for some time”.
“One could have anticipated this‚ but I cannot say what the possible motive for this raid is.”
What had been upsetting‚ said Kriegler‚ was the “tit-for-tat” goings-on between the Hawks and Ipid last year and the abuse of the criminal justice system for purposes which seemed suspect.
Political analyst Keith Gottschalk believes this was possibly part of the ongoing battle between President Jacob Zuma and those who opposed him.
He‚ however‚ said for Ipid to have raided Phahlane’s home‚ they must have had concrete suspicions.
“This‚ in effect‚ seems to be like a lifestyle audit.”
He said what was essential was for no one to be seen to be above the law‚ “not even the national police commissioner”. – TMG Digital/The Times
Top cop Khomotso Phahlane consults lawyers after Ipid raid targets home sound system
South Africa’s top cop is meeting his lawyers after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) raided his home‚ which he felt was traumatic for his family and an assault on his character.
The raid is part of a broader corruption and defeating the ends of justice investigation into Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane and alleged kickbacks he received for awarding contracts to service providers.
Directorate investigators met with Phahlane in his office on Thursday to take a warning statement from him and serve him with a search warrant for his luxury home in Pretoria’s Sable Hills Waterfront Estate at Roodeplaat Dam. Investigators spent an hour searching the R8-million property.
Ipid sources said investigators were looking for evidence of an R80 000 sound system which Phahlane is alleged to have had installed in his home in exchange for securing a tender for a service provider. The tender was to allegedly to provide chemicals to the police forensic science laboratory‚ which the commissioner used to head.
Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini declined to comment on the raid “as it is part of an ongoing operation”.
Police spokesman Brigadier Sally De Beer confirmed Phahlane met with IPID investigators at his office.
“The meeting was in connection with allegations under investigation by Ipid. Phahlane provided Ipid investigators with the sound systems proof of payment‚ but‚ despite this‚ a media circus was conducted at his home which traumatised his family.
“It is against this background that the investigation is considered an assault on Phahlane’s character and integrity. Phahlane has briefed his lawyers to take this matter forward.”
The chairperson of Freedom Under Law‚ retired judge Johann Kriegler‚ said the raid did not come as a surprise “as there has been interaction between Phahlane and McBride for some time”.
“One could have anticipated this‚ but I cannot say what the possible motive for this raid is.”
What had been upsetting‚ said Kriegler‚ was the “tit-for-tat” goings-on between the Hawks and Ipid last year and the abuse of the criminal justice system for purposes which seemed suspect.
Political analyst Keith Gottschalk believes this was possibly part of the ongoing battle between President Jacob Zuma and those who opposed him.
He‚ however‚ said for Ipid to have raided Phahlane’s home‚ they must have had concrete suspicions.
“This‚ in effect‚ seems to be like a lifestyle audit.”
He said what was essential was for no one to be seen to be above the law‚ “not even the national police commissioner”. – TMG Digital/The Times
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos