The Hawks “are considering the next course of action” after Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) executive director Robert McBride refused to present himself to them for warning statements
Spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Tuesday the Hawks took “serious exception” to McBride’s snub a day earlier‚ and pointed out that Hawks head Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza had last week complied with a Ipid requested for him “to provide warning statements on two cases of alleged perjury and crimen injuria”.
Ipid had‚ on Monday‚ suggested the Hawks’ charges against McBride were a case of tit-fot-tat‚ and said that Ntlemeza had‚ while giving his warning statements last week‚ “threatened that the Hawks would be taking statements against Ipid investigators”.
Mulaudzi‚ however‚ said it “is concerning in the extreme that” McBride “continues to use the name of the police minister accusing him of having a vendetta against him”.
He added that it was “unfounded that there is a plot against executive director led by the minister of police and Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza‚ as he would want the public to believe”.
In its statement on Monday‚ Ipid said that the investigating officer‚ a Colonel Fourie‚ had in “a recorded telephonic conversation‚ stated that the instruction came from the minister of police – which the minister denied in Parliament”.
But Mulaudzi insisted that “the ongoing investigation against the executive director is conducted by the Hawks and has nothing to do with the minister”.
“It is unfortunate that colleagues within the country’s criminal justice system have resorted to communicating internal security matters using media interviews and information leaks‚” he added.
Mulaudzi also said that while “it is not in the nature of the Hawks to conduct its work and investigations in the public‚ however recent misleading statements by Ipid have prompted the Hawks to respond”.
“We are making a call using a public platform‚ to our respected colleagues to desist from the public mudslinging and misinformation whatever the motive.”
Last week‚ an affidavit leaked to the media named McBride alongside private investigator Paul O’Sullivan‚ former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibya and suspended crime intelligence agent Captain Candice Coetzee as being behind a political plot to assassinate high-ranking policing and government officials.
The four were allegedly planning to assassinate acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane‚ Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza‚ National Prosecuting head advocate Shaun Abrahams and newly appointed State Security Agency Director-General Arthur Fraser.
The endgame‚ their accuser‚ Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Prince Mokotedi‚ said last week was to incite a “popular revolt”.
– TMG Digital
Hawks mull next move against McBride‚ deny ‘vendetta’ against him
The Hawks “are considering the next course of action” after Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) executive director Robert McBride refused to present himself to them for warning statements
Spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Tuesday the Hawks took “serious exception” to McBride’s snub a day earlier‚ and pointed out that Hawks head Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza had last week complied with a Ipid requested for him “to provide warning statements on two cases of alleged perjury and crimen injuria”.
Ipid had‚ on Monday‚ suggested the Hawks’ charges against McBride were a case of tit-fot-tat‚ and said that Ntlemeza had‚ while giving his warning statements last week‚ “threatened that the Hawks would be taking statements against Ipid investigators”.
Mulaudzi‚ however‚ said it “is concerning in the extreme that” McBride “continues to use the name of the police minister accusing him of having a vendetta against him”.
He added that it was “unfounded that there is a plot against executive director led by the minister of police and Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza‚ as he would want the public to believe”.
In its statement on Monday‚ Ipid said that the investigating officer‚ a Colonel Fourie‚ had in “a recorded telephonic conversation‚ stated that the instruction came from the minister of police – which the minister denied in Parliament”.
But Mulaudzi insisted that “the ongoing investigation against the executive director is conducted by the Hawks and has nothing to do with the minister”.
“It is unfortunate that colleagues within the country’s criminal justice system have resorted to communicating internal security matters using media interviews and information leaks‚” he added.
Mulaudzi also said that while “it is not in the nature of the Hawks to conduct its work and investigations in the public‚ however recent misleading statements by Ipid have prompted the Hawks to respond”.
“We are making a call using a public platform‚ to our respected colleagues to desist from the public mudslinging and misinformation whatever the motive.”
Last week‚ an affidavit leaked to the media named McBride alongside private investigator Paul O’Sullivan‚ former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibya and suspended crime intelligence agent Captain Candice Coetzee as being behind a political plot to assassinate high-ranking policing and government officials.
The four were allegedly planning to assassinate acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane‚ Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza‚ National Prosecuting head advocate Shaun Abrahams and newly appointed State Security Agency Director-General Arthur Fraser.
The endgame‚ their accuser‚ Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Prince Mokotedi‚ said last week was to incite a “popular revolt”.
– TMG Digital
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