COPS FLAY IPID’S ‘MEDIA CIRCUS’
Row after Phahlane’s home raid
POLICE have slammed a “media circus” conducted by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) during a raid on Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane’s home yesterday.
Ipid raided his home in search of an R80 000 sound system‚ despite Phahlane having provided them with proof of payment for the system‚ police said in a statement.
There were allegations that the sound system had been installed in Phahlane’s home by a service provider who apparently received a contract with the police forensic science laboratory.
However‚ in a statement last night‚ police spokeswoman Brigadier Sally de Beer said at a meeting earlier yesterday, Phahlane had “provided the Ipid investigators with the proof of payment for the sound system to the total value of R80 075‚ the money having been transferred from his personal current account to Nedbank account number 1288095317 Sounds Great‚ Woodlands, on 16 April 2012”.
The proof was provided at the conclusion of a meeting at Phahlane’s office held in connection with allegations of corruption and defeating the ends of justice being investigated against him.
“The defeating the ends of justice case relates to allegations publicly made following an investigation and the interviewing of witnesses‚ led by Paul O’Sullivan accompanied by Ipid investigators. The corruption allegations are in relation to the purchase of a sound system‚ allegedly by codirectors of a private company. Paul O’Sullivan is apparently the complainant in the alleged corruption case‚” De Beer said.
She said it was regrettable that while five Ipid investigators were still busy with discussions in Phahlane’s office‚ news broke in the media that Ipid was in the process of raiding his home.
“Despite the acting national commissioner providing personal proof of payment for the sound system‚ a media circus was conducted at his place of residence including the spreading of propaganda through the electronic media‚ causing further trauma to family members.
“It is against this background that the entire investigation is considered an assault on the character and integrity of the acting national commissioner ... the acting national commissioner has briefed his lawyers to take this matter forward‚” De Beer said.
O’Sullivan said the dockets that he opened against Phahlane related to his [Phahlane’s] alleged protection of convicted mobster Radovan Krejcir and former police detective head Vinesh Moonoo. He said in April‚ two weeks after the Ipid acting head tipped off Phahlane‚ he was arrested and dragged off a plane as he was about to depart for the UK.