Raid on his home angers police chief

SOUTH Africa’s top cop has briefed his lawyers after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) raided his home, which he felt was traumatic for his family and an assault on his character.

The raid is part of a corruption and defeating the ends of justice investigation into acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane.

Ipid investigators had a meeting with Phahlane in his office yesterday to take a warning statement and serve him with a search warrant for his luxury home in Pretoria’s Sable Hills Waterfront Estate at Roodeplaat Dam.

Investigators spent an hour searching the property, which is valued at R8-million.

Ipid sources said investigators were looking for evidence of an R80 000 sound system which Phahlane is alleged to have had installed in his home in exchange for securing a tender for a service provider.

The tender was to allegedly provide chemicals to the police forensic science laboratory, which the commissioner used to head.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini declined to comment on the raid “as it is part of an ongoing operation”.

Police spokeswoman Brigadier Sally de Beer confirmed that Phahlane had met Ipid investigators at his office.

“The meeting was in connection with allegations under investigation by Ipid,” she said.

“Phahlane provided Ipid investigators with the sound system’s proof of payment, but despite this a media circus was conducted at his home, which traumatised his family.

“It is against this background that the investigation is considered an assault on Phahlane’s character and integrity.

“Phahlane has briefed his lawyers to take this matter forward.” Freedom Under Law head Judge Johann Kriegler said the raid did not come as a surprise, “as there has been interaction between Phahlane and [Ipid boss Robert] McBride for some time.

“One could have anticipated this, but I cannot say what the possible motive for this raid is,” he said.

“What has been upsetting is the tit-for-tat goings-on between the Hawks and Ipid and the abuse of the criminal justice system for purposes which seem suspect.”

Political analyst Keith Gottschalk said this was possibly part of the ongoing battle between President Jacob Zuma and those who oppose him.

He said, however, that for Ipid to have raided Phahlane’s home, they must have had concrete suspicions.

“This in effect seems to be like a lifestyle audit,” Gottschalk said.

He said it was essential for no one to be seen to be above the law, not even the national police commissioner.

A media circus was conducted at his home, which traumatised his family