Mentor’s fraud reports ignored

FORMER ANC MP Vytjie Mentor says she reported the Hawks’ failure to probe the corruption charges she laid against former president Jacob Zuma and the Guptas to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

Mentor yesterday testified before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that her complaints to the Ipid had been ignored, and that she also asked the directorate’s head, Robert McBride, about the delays.

She told the commission – headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo – that when she laid charges against Zuma and the Guptas in May, 2016, her statement was taken for safekeeping by top Western Cape police officer General Jeremy Veary.

According to Mentor, Veary was instructed to transfer the statement to former Hawks head Mthandazo Ntlemeza.

In her statement before the commission, Mentor said she laid charges of obstruction of justice against Ntlemeza, former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and another senior Hawks officer, Zintle Mnonopi, with the Ipid.

Mentor said when Hawks officer advocate Mandla Mtolo arrived at her home in Cape Town in June, 2016, he told her that their hands were tied because she had included Zuma’s name.

Mentor testified that Mtolo told her to remove Zuma’s name from the statement. “I removed Zuma’s name under the influence of Mtolo,” she said.

Mtolo’s lawyer, Vincent Siwela, who began cross-examining Mentor, described the allegations against his client as false and malicious.

Siwela said by agreeing to remove Zuma’s name, Mentor connived with Mtolo to defeat the ends of justice.

Mtolo apparently told Mentor to remove references to Zuma having a corrupt relationship with the Guptas.

Mtolo recorded the two meetings he held with Mentor, who also recorded one of the meetings.

Mentor was also cross-examined by former presidential aide Lakela Kaunda’s lawyer, Henry Cowley, who disputed that his client ever contacted the former chairperson of the portfolio committee on public enterprises to arrange the meeting at which the Guptas offered her the position of public enterprises minister at their Saxonwold compound in 2010.

During her cross-examination by Cowley, Mentor disputed Kaunda’s cellphone records, which indicated that the former Presidency chief operations officer never called her.

She said she could not attest to the veracity of the records, as her service provider did not keep records for longer than five years.

Zondo told Mentor that she appeared to have issues with all records, as she has disputed documents submitted by SAA, Parliament and the Department of Home Affairs.

Mentor said the lapse of time may have allowed people to interfere with records.

Zondo also announced that he was disinclined to allow the Guptas’ lawyer, Mike Hellens, permission to play a recording of the inspection in loco as it still has to be established whether he is entitled to represent the controversial family at the commission.

The Guptas have refused to testify before the commission, but offered to give evidence through a video link, which has been denied.

I removed (Jacob) Zuma’s name under the influence of (Mandla) Mtolo Vytjie Mentor Former ANC MP