Dropping Mdluli’s charges nonsensical
Former specialised commercial crime unit head Lawrence Mrwebi deliberately dropped a 2012 case against then crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, according to Hawks investigator Kobus Roelofse.
Former specialised commercial crime unit head Lawrence Mrwebi deliberately dropped a 2012 case against then crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, says Hawks investigator Kobus Roelofse.
Giving evidence at the state capture commission of inquiry chaired by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, Roelofse said he had never encountered such a decision in his long career in the police service.
Mrwebi maintained there was no evidence against Mdluli, who was put on suspension pending the outcome of the matter, despite the chief prosecutor and investigating officers saying a prima facie case was ready to be prosecuted.
“It was strange. I worked closely with prosecutors and I have never encountered something like this before,” Roelofse said. “It didn’t make sense. This was a deliberate attempt not to continue with the investigation.”
Some of the charges against Mdluli were reinstated after a 2015 Supreme Court of Appeal ruling. The court also ordered that action be taken against the National Prosecuting Authority’s deputy head, Nomgcobo Jiba, and Mwrebi for their part in dropping the charges.
IT WAS STRANGE. I WORKED CLOSELY WITH PROSECUTORS AND I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE
On July 30, Johannesburg high court judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng found Mdluli and his co-accused, Mthembeni Mthunzi, guilty of the kidnapping and assault in 1999 of Oupa Ramogibe, who was married to Mdluli’s former lover, Tshidi Buthelezi.
Mdluli was found guilty of four counts of intimidation, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of common assault, and two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Mthunzi was found guilty of two counts of kidnapping, two counts of common assault and two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Both were acquitted of intimidating Buthelezi’s friend, Alice Manana, and defeating the ends of justice.
Sentencing was on Thursday postponed to November 8.
Roelofse earlier testified that he tried to contact Tiso Blackstar journalist Ranjeni Munusamy three times in 2014 to inquire about information he had in connection with the payment of a vehicle registered in her name with funds from crime intelligence’s secret service fund.
He said that R143,621 was allegedly paid into a WesBank vehicle finance account in settlement of a vehicle registered in Munusamy’s name in 2008, when she was self-employed. He had learnt of the alleged payments while investigating claims of corruption involving crime intelligence officers and a Centurion-based vehicle dealership, Atlantis Motors.
“The vehicle in question is registered to N Munusamy, registered to an address used by the same person at the time,” he said. “In 2014, I contacted [Munusamy] and informed her of what I had found and asked her for her explanation. She said she would speak to her legal representative. I never received any communication after that.”
Responding earlier to Roelofse’s testimony, Munusamy denied the allegations and said she was co-operating fully with the commission.
Munusamy has been placed on special leave to allow her to deal with the allegations. She was not a Tiso Blackstar employee at the time of the alleged payment.