Dawjee’s unusual power in police matters made her ‘uneasy’‚ top cop tells court

A simple “breakfast invitation” more than six years ago is back on the proverbial table as businessman Mohamed Saleem Dawjee and Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer face corruption charges in court.

Day two of Lamoer’s trial featured the prosecution spending a majority of the day stitching together a “pattern” of “inappropriate” interactions that ultimately led to whistle-blower Brigadier Hansia Hansraj filing a report.

 Shortly following her appointment as Goodwood station commander in 2011‚ Hansraj received that very invitation from Dawjee.

 At the breakfast‚ Hansraj said she quickly became uncomfortable as Dawjee asked her interdepartmental questions and later requested she provide a new car for a warrant officer under her command.

 Hansraj forgot the interaction until February 14 2012‚ when she received a phone call from a Lieutenant Vlok at Goodwood.

 During that phone call‚ Hansraj said Vlok remained very upset because of an interaction he had at Dawjee’s place of business earlier that day.

 “Dawjee was very abusive and aggressive according to Vlok. He called him to his business in order to discuss a complaint about a charge against his nephew. He called the female officer responsible [Lieutenant Engelbrecht] for the charge ‘a racist’ and indicated he would ‘kick her in the p**s‚’” Hansraj said.

 Engelbrecht approached Hansraj shortly after the phone call and was‚ according to Hansraj‚ visibly shaken and felt “violated“.

Six days later‚ Dawjee unexpectedly arrived at the Goodwood station under the premise he would be assisting with a scheduled inspection.

 His appearance less than a week after his conflict with Vlok worried Hansraj‚ who immediately asked him to recuse himself.

“Dawjee said he was summoned by the inspectorate to Goodwood because he considered it the most racist station in the area.” Hansraj said. “I was astonished that a civilian thought he would have insight into the inspection because it is between myself and the inspectorate. It is entirely a police matter.”

 After Hansraj refused the inspection‚ she said she received an email an hour later saying the inspection had been moved to February 22.

 Dawjee left the station but returned shortly with Brigadier Darius Van der Ross to discuss Vlok and Engelbrecht’s statements.

 After a discussion filled with “racist and sexist” obscenities by Dawjee‚ Vlok requested to transfer units.

 Dawjee’s unusual power to take part in interdepartmental matters gradually left Hansraj increasingly “uneasy”. During their meeting‚ Hansraj said Van der Ross granted Dawjee access to the complaint docket against him – a moment that raised her suspicions further.

“Under any other circumstance he would not have been allowed to see it. This is when the whole situation turned into something else to me‚” Hansraj said.

Hansraj said Dawjee possessed a level of “confidence” unfit for his position as a civilian. Multiple other run-ins between Dawjee and Hansraj continued in a similar fashion. This pattern drove Hansraj to report her interactions.

“I became very upset‚ as I began facing more and more issues with this man. He became annoyed anytime I wouldn’t do what he wanted‚” Hansraj said.

 Day three will resume Thursday with Hansraj’s testimony and cross-examination.

Lamoer‚ Dawjee‚ Van der Ross‚ and Sharon and Collin Govender are on trial in the High Court in Cape Town on 109 charges ranging from corruption and money laundering.