Sitole, Mbalula’s advisor ‘met’ suspect in fraud case

A meeting between SAPS top leadership and a director of a company embroiled in an investigation relating to alleged plot to defraud police crime intelligence of nearly R50-million in December has raised the ire of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

Ipid said yesterday Police Commissioner General Kehla Sitole, his two deputies and an advisor to former police minister Fikile Mbalula attended a meeting in a Pretoria hotel with Durban businessman Inbanathan Kistiah, three days before the ANC conference.

This comes after Eye Witness News reported yesterday about CCTV footage showing SAPS leadership, including Sitole, arriving at the Pretoria hotel for a meeting with Kistiah.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini said they received a tip-off regarding a transaction which is worth R45-million meant for Brainwave Projects, trading as iView Integrated System.

“The amount was alleged to be for the payment of a Grabber system valued at between R7-million and R10-million. It was alleged that the money was to be laundered for the buying of votes at the ANC national conference,” Dlamini said.

He said Ipid was awaiting the declassification of documents in order to finalise the investigation. “There is sufficient evidence to sustain a prima facie case of fraud and corruption,” Dlamini said.

Sitole’s spokesman Vish Naidoo said police would be cooperating with any Ipid investigation but refused to respond to questions on the meeting with Kistiah.

“We welcome any investigation, we will give it any support necessary,” Naidoo said.

Dlamini said what was of concern for Ipid was “why would a service provider who is under investigation call police generals [to a meeting] and they attend?”