Police frustrating inquiries, says Ipid
Watchdog tells MPs that payments continued for questionable contract that should have been terminated
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate alleged in Parliament on Tuesday that powerful police officers were using classification to frustrate the watchdog’s investigations into officials.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) alleged in Parliament on Tuesday that powerful police officers were using classification to frustrate the watchdog’s investigations into officials, including disgraced former acting commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and convicted criminal intelligence policeman Morris Tshabalala.
An Ipid delegation briefed MPs in the standing committee on public accounts on the status of ongoing investigations.
Ipid investigations head Matthew Sesoko said that even though the parliamentary committee had agreed in November that questionable contracts worth R919.3m between the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) and service provider Forensic Data Analysts (FDA) should be cancelled, payments continued.
“It is our considered view that the investigations against the high-ranking officers have brought to the fore the necessity to amend the Ipid Act, the Intelligence [Services] Oversight Act and the SAPS [South African Police Service] Act to deal with counter-investigations by members being investigated by Ipid.
“Declassification of information and documents by criminal intelligence and SAPS management must happen. This will enable Ipid to conduct investigations, as the current constraints unnecessarily delay our investigations,” said Sesoko.
The high-profile cases Ipid was handling included those of Phahlane, Tshabalala (also known as “KGB”) and General Agnes Makhele, who is the former head of crime intelligence in the Free State.
Sesoko told the committee that Ipid’s investigations into the high-ranking officers centred on their suspected acts of corruption, theft, money laundering, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice.
Sesoko told the MPs that despite MPs and Ipid having agreed in 2017 that the Sita discontinue procuring services from FDA, payments were continuing. The FDA contracts were for technical support for the firearm-permit system and the supply of forensic equipment.
“We wrote to Sita to stop making payments to FDA. We know that Sita has inquired about cancelling these unlawful contracts. Apparently there is pressure from generals on Sita to pay FDA, and if that does not happen then SAPS will not pay Sita,” said Sesoko.
Sesoko said Tshabalala’s case was mind-boggling as the captain was given a position despite having been convicted of a serious crime. All the information before Ipid pointed to Tshabalala not having been vetted before his appointment, said Sesoko.
“KGB Tshabalala’s case is a strange thing. A person is convicted and employed in SAPS — even after being convicted. But the SAPS cannot pick up that they have a criminal record.
“When we arrested him and opposed his bail, he said he was not aware that he was meant to submit himself to the police,” Sesoko told MPs.
The committee’s chairman, Themba Godi, reminded Ipid that the committee had decided in 2017 that the police watchdog would return to Parliament and update MPs on high-profile investigations and that procurement from FDA should cease.
“One of the critical instruments in the current fight against corruption is the police, and if you don’t have them, then you may well not be fighting against corruption at all. We need to pull you from the shadows so the public can appreciate the work you do,” said Godi.
DA MP Tim Brauteseth said the committee had heard that there might be an effort to curtail Ipid’s investigations.