Ex-spy boss tried to get witness removed
INTELLIGENCE Inspector-General Setlhomamaru Dintwe has told the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture that there was a “concerted effort”, led by former spy boss Arthur Fraser, to remove him from his position because he was investigating a number of complaints against Fraser.
Dintwe said his problems began when he told Fraser “out of courtesy” that he was investigating a complaint against him, which was lodged by current DA leader John Steenhuisen.
According to Dintwe, it was his view that he was not regarded as a person who was “malleable”, and it was a known fact that he would consider and act upon the complaints lodged, without fear or favour, and that steps were taken to undermine his authority.
He also accused Fraser of denying security clearance to people as a weapon against those who fought against corruption.
Fraser stripped Dintwe of his security clearance in 2018.
Dintwe followed this by dragging Fraser to court to reverse his decision and also interdict him from interfering, in any manner, with the functions of Dintwe’s office.
Dintwe told the commission last night that stripping him of his security clearance was equivalent to removing him from office.
Previously, Dintwe told the commission that the ministers of police, defence and state security all wrote him letters to try to persuade him not to testify at the commission.
He said that the ministers accused him of giving evidence to the commission before consulting them. But Dintwe said he told the ministers and President Cyril Ramaphosa of his actions, and even gave them the evidence bundles before his testimony at the commission.
Earlier in the day, the commission heard Eskom-related evidence from an expert witness from Quintessence Digital Forensics, Cecil Louwrens.
Louwrens told the Commission that forensic analysis into Eskom suspension letters showed the creator of the documents as company secretary Suzanne Daniels.
However, Louwrens said that he could not decipher whether Daniels actually wrote the letters, but the documents showed that she was listed as the creator.
He told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that he found the suspension letters were created with a Macintosh computer, but this was inconsistent with Daniels’ computer – which used a Windows operating system.
Last year, Daniels testified at the commission and told Zondo that she was following former Eskom board chairperson Ben Ngubane’s instructions.