Parliament gets private spy squad to probe leaks
Firm headed by former spooks to ‘interrogate’ officials over breaches
PARLIAMENT has hired private intelligence contractors, including former government spies, to investigate alleged security breaches by its officials.
It emerged this week that Foresight Advisory Solutions — a company founded by former intelligence chiefs Gibson Njenje and Moe Shaik — was appointed a month ago to investigate suspended parliament security head Zelda Holtzman and other protection officials suspected of leaking information and breaching parliamentary security.
Senior and junior staffers have complained of victimisation, saying their cellphones were being tapped.
The appointment of Foresight comes as parliament tries to weed out officials it considers to be intent on discrediting the institution’s managers.
It is unclear why parliament engaged a private company instead of using state intelligence.
Letebele Masemola-Jones, parliament’s spokesman, declined to comment on the appointment of Foresight or its brief.
Foresight spokesman Jacques van den Bergh confirmed that the company, which counts former police commissioner George Fivaz among its directors, had been contracted by parliament, but would not give details. “We are indeed doing some work for parliament,” he said, referring further questions to parliament.
Foresight investigators have interviewed at least three people in security services as well as an official from the human resources unit.
Holtzman and her deputy, Motlatsi Mokgatla, were suspended in July to “enable investigation of alleged security breaches and other issues affecting the parliamentary protection services”, parliament said in a statement at the time.
The developments follow recent Sunday Times reports that the secretary to parliament, Gengezi Mgidlana, has been illegally using a vehicle fitted with blue emergency lights to ferry himself and his family around.
Holtzman raised concerns about this. She and protection services staff have also clashed with Mgidlana over the recruitment of police officers to act as the parliamentary “bouncers” who deal with disruptive MPs.
Parliamentary officials are now accusing their managers of conducting a “witch-hunt” after some were “interrogated” by Foresight staff.
Among its listed services, the company says it helps “identify current and potential threats” and gathers threat intelligence, which includes compiling behavioural profiles of individuals, groups and syndicates.
One official said the questioning was like apartheid days. “[It is] worse than solitary confinement. At least then I knew why I was there,” said the official.
Another insider said Foresight was trying to get to the bottom of “security breaches”.
“They want to question all the guys who drove [Mgidlana] and some additional staff members as well as some controllers [and Holtzman],” said the insider.
Holtzman said this week: “I am saddened and deeply disturbed by the fact that parliament’s administration could go to this length to appoint interrogators of that nature, of that company, even and only because what I’ve done was in the interest of the institution.
“Now I’m having to face the might of the administration invoking former apartheid resources and agents . . . To do what, to say what and for what purpose? That is the big question.”
Holtzman broke her silence after a run-in with parliament security and the police when she tried to return to duty on Tuesday. Her lawyers have advised her not to agree to being questioned by Foresight.
“I’m duty-bound to put this out
Now I’m having to face the might of the administration invoking former apartheid resources
there because this silence gives power to those abusing it. I’m puzzled and deeply saddened that it could have stooped to that level,” she said.
Masemola-Jones said: “Ms Holtzman and Mr Mokgatla are still on precautionary suspension as the investigation is not yet complete. Parliament wishes to emphasise again that the precautionary suspensions do not in any way constitute a judgment or penalty.”
State security spokesman Brian Dube said he was not in a position to comment on why parliament or any state institution would request an outside contractor to carry out intelligence-driven investigations.
“But we do get, from time to time, requests from government departments and state agencies to assist them in one issue or another. We then respond accordingly. So that does happen. But . . . it would be difficult for me to give an informed comment on that aspect of them hiring other companies. In law there’s nothing that prevents government institutions and departments from securing services of private contractors.”