Donation of bakkie to top cop claimed

A PRETORIA car dealership owner who claims to have bought besieged acting police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane a Toyota Hilux bakkie, says he had hoped Phahlane would join him in business as a BEE partner.

The businessman‚ whose identity is known to Times Media, has detailed his relationship with Phahlane in a sworn statement believed to form part of the case being investigated by the Independent Investigative Police Directorate (Ipid).

He said he had met Phahlane about four years ago in his dealership in Pretoria North.

“The day we met‚ Phahlane was dressed in his police uniform,” the man said in his affidavit.

“Phahlane was looking at vehicles and, during our discussion, it became clear to me that he had a passion for vehicles.”

The statement‚ which was taken on Tuesday last week, goes into detail about how the businessman approached Phahlane to be his Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partner.

He claimed Phahlane had been willing to be his BEE partner and discussions had begun.

But then Phahlane was appointed acting police commissioner in October 2015 and the partnership was not discussed further.

“We have stayed in touch after his appointment but did not see each other regularly,” he said.

“We did, however, exchange Christmas greetings etc via cellphone messages.”

In December 2015‚ he decided that he wanted to sponsor Phahlane with a vehicle to use for his community projects and Phahlane agreed to the offer.

The man said he had decided on a Toyota Hilux because of its good resale value.

The agreement was that Phahlane would use the vehicle for 18 months and that it would be registered in Phahlane’s name so he could be responsible for the insurance‚ fuel‚ tolls and maintenance.

This is one of six cars‚ said to include a Land Rover Discovery‚ a Range Rover Sport‚ a Toyota Hilux and a VW Amarok, that have drawn Ipid’s attention.

It is not clear whether Phahlane declared the vehicle to the police.

Rudolph Zinn‚ a professor in the department of police practice at the University of South Africa‚ said donations were guided by standing orders in the police service.

“[The donation] must first be approved in writing by the SAPS,” he said.

The police watchdog is probing Phahlane for corruption and defeating the ends of justice‚ with the investigation widened to probe how he could afford the luxury cars.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini declined to comment.

National police spokeswoman Brigadier Sally de Beer said the allegations were inaccurate.