Madonsela disciplinary hearing looms
THE second in command of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, Brigadier Simon Madonsela, who is being prosecuted for bribery and corruption, is to face a disciplinary hearing next week.
Madonsela, who was suspended after he appeared in the Durban Commercial Crime Court in connection with the criminal charges, has since tendered his resignation.
This was being considered, said the national spokesman for the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.
The criminal case and disciplinary proceedings against Madonsela flow from the claims by the family of Faeika ‘Rehani’ Esop Ali, a Durban businesswoman who has been missing for eight years, that Madonsela allegedly asked for and was paid more than R20 000 to fast-track the investigations into her disappearance.
The State alleged that Madonsela took the money and instead of giving the docket priority, signed it off.
His co-accused in the the Durban Commercial Crime Court is local businessman Sateesh ‘Strini’ Isseri.
According to an application filed in the Durban High Court, where Faeika’s daughter, Fehmida, is seeking an order that her mother be presumed dead, the married Isseri and her divorced mom were lovers.
Fehmida claimed in an affidavit that Isseri attempted to mislead the court by claiming in his replying papers that her mother was alive and well in Cape Town.
She alleged that her mom was murdered and that Isseri was behind it.
Isseri, the owner of Primed Sub-Acute Medical cc, claimed Fehmida had ruined his reputation, character and dignity by insinuating that he was involved in her mother’s murder.
The Hawks head in KwaZulu-Natal, Major General Johan Booysen, who was suspended three weeks ago for allegedly filing a fraudulent claim for R15 000, is planning to challenge his suspension in the Durban High Court through an urgent application.
It was reported in a Sunday newspaper that Booysen claimed he was offered a golden handshake by embattled police commissioner, General Riah Phiyega, to quit the police force.
Phiyega has denied the claim.
Durban tycoon Thoshan Panday has rejected newspaper reports that he was instrumental in having Booysen suspended.
Panday told POST this week that he was not a member of the SAPS and contrary to the speculation in the media he had nothing to do with Booysen’s suspension.
“Before I was falsely accused by Booysen of giving him a R2 million bribe in a briefcase, I was not on the pages of the media.
“The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal threw the R2 million bribery and corruption case and two other cases against me out, because the police investigations were tainted and irregular,” he said.
“Every time Booysen is in the papers, the media unfairly dragged my name into its stories.
“I am not facing any charges whatsoever.
“The directorate has stated that the matters against me have been closed for good,” said Panday.