Spying on ex top cop in focus

THE SPYING on and monitoring of conversations of former police commissioner Andre Lamoer and his co-accused brigadiers Darius van der Ross, Sharon Govender and her husband Colin Govender and businessman Salim Dawjee came into sharp focus in the Western Cape High court yesterday.

The five accused are appearing on 109 charges of corruption, racketeering, and money laundering involving R1.6 million.

Defence advocate William King SC, questioned Colonel Abdul Enus, commander of an investigative unit in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), about his meetings with the provincial head of Crime Intelligence, Major-General Mzwandile Tiyo. The trial-with-a-trial is dealing with the legal validity of the surveillance.

King questioned Enus about the multiple meetings he had with crime intelligence officers, and others, to find out when surveillance would be discussed– and who was at these meetings. Enus said Tiyo, Captain Philip Lourens, and advocate Billy Downer would be at these meetings.

“Those conversations go to the heart of most charges,” King said. He also wanted to know if Lourens disclosed to the State the contents of the monitoring.

State advocate Downer objected, saying King was questioning the witness about meetings the advocate had, which Enus would not know about.

King also questioned the witness about Tiyo not wanting his officers in court. “He said something to the effect he wouldn’t want his officers in court,” Enus said. King also claimed Tiyo had gone to the director of public prosecutions to keep his witnesses away. King had previously stated the defence wanted to subpoena Tiyo to get clarity on his top secret clearance.

King said that Lourens, who conducted the surveillances, must have at least two years’ worth of listening experience Enus said Tiyo’s attitude of not wanting his officers to testify, is one shared by many intelligence officers.