Prosecutor denies gunning for top cop

THE prosecutor who pursued fraud and corruption charges against top cop Andre Lincoln denied that he was “desperate” to prosecute former head of the Presidential Investigation Task Unit (Pitu) 17 years ago.

Bouwer was called as a State witness in the civil trial, where Lincoln is suing the State for R15 million on 47 counts, alleging that he was maliciously prosecuted.

Yesterday in court Lincoln’s advocate, Johnny Nortje, repeatedly went over the details of a charge of drunken driving against his client which had been pursued by Bouwer.

A heated Bouwer fired back, saying: “This was one of the strongest drunken driving cases I ever had. Lincoln said he drank two glasses of Jack Daniels for the night, but he was at two clubs from 10pm till 7am or 8am the next morning, drives into two cars on the other side of the road. One witness alone saw him with four glasses in one club.

“Mr Lincoln was seen to be heavily intoxicated by four strong witnesses. Mr Cyril Beeka, a gangster, fetches him at the crime (scene) and his henchman takes him to Spur for a breakfast. It offends me deeply that he was acquitted on the drunken driving charge,” Bouwer testified.

Nortje then pointed out to the witness: “You are clearly very upset at the judges for acquitting Mr Lincoln. It appears you were determined to prosecute him.”

To which Bouwer responded: “I am a very passionate man. I love justice. I have done many things to prove people’s innocence. I love the truth. It is just with all the hard work that went into this. If I stood next to you in that appeal, we would not have stood here today.”

Under re-examination State attorney Craig Webster went back to Nortje’s theory of Bouwer being “desperate” to prosecute Lincoln.

To which Bouwer stated: “I do not know him and I quite like him. I have no problems with Mr Lincoln. I just believe it was not possible to have had an acquittal on all charges. I was not desperate to prosecute Mr Lincoln, there was nothing in it for me.”

Webster also went over the charges against Lincoln, which included: hiring of motor vehicles, subsistence and travel fraud charges, misuse of a State safe house, unlawful use of furniture, drunken driving and leaving the scene of the accident.