Call for commission of inquiry into Mdluli allegations

A Weekend Argus notes this was the warning sounded by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) as a growing body of evidence points to rogue elements at the highest levels of the SAPS engaged in the widespread abuse of secret slush funds, alleged murders, cover-ups, and highly irregular appointments and promotions. A leaked internal SAPS report compiled in November last year details the extent to which the head of the Crime Intelligence Division, Major General Richard Mdluli, is believed to have plundered the unit's secret service account for his own benefit. It also reveals how Mdluli appointed 23 of his family members - including his wife, ex-wife and several girlfriends - to the unit's covert agent programme, from where they drew salaries, claimed expenses and travelled extensively at taxpayers' expense. According to the report, Gareth Newham, of the ISS, warned that unless the allegations against Mdluli were probed by a judicial commission of inquiry, the consequences for SA could be dire. He pointed out that 'the many honest, hard-working policemen and women who place their lives on the line fighting crime need to be able to trust that those leading them are beyond reproach'. This was why an independent judicial commission of inquiry had to be held. Full Weekend Argus report (subscription needed)

Among those given jobs by Mdluli were two unemployed children of Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, according to a report in The Citizen. It says they were employed as covert police crime intelligence agents, but neither had any police-based experience of collecting criminal intelligence. The report claims that on 1 July, 2010 Mdluli recruited LS Mthethwa as a Crime Intelligence agent, appointing him directly to the rank of warrant officer allegedly without Mthethwa having had any formal training at police college. On the same day Mdluli also recruited T Ngubane as a warrant officer. Ngubane also bypassed basic police training. Contacted for comment, Ngubane denied being Mthethwa's son: 'No, I'm not his son. I am a nephew.' Warrant Officer Mthethwa's phone was answered by a man identifying himself as Mthethwa's colleague who said that Mthethwa was not Nathi Mthethwa's biological son but an adopted child. WO Mthethwa's cellphone was switched off soon afterward, notes the report. Full report in The Citizen

Mdluli handed a list with names of family members who had to be appointed as secret agents to his unit, the Hawks claim in an affidavit before court, notes a City Press report. Those who were appointed include Mdluli's 32-year-old current wife and his former wife. Both were appointed at colonel level. His daughter and a family member of his wife became lieutenant colonels and his son a captain. These and other shocking claims about Mdluli's alleged role in looting the crime intelligence secret service account are detailed in two affidavits by senior Hawks investigators who were ¬investigating the case. The probe has since been suspended, notes the report Full City Press report

Mdluli's unit has a resort on the KZN north coast for the exclusive use of the unit's top officers and has paid for their holidays out of the secret fund, according to a Beeld report. This allegation is among those made in affidavits from the Hawks investigators. The fund was allegedly also used to rent a townhouse in Gordon's Bay for Mdluli. The secret fund was allegedly used for security improvements worth R150 000 at Mdluli's Boksburg house. The unit's financial head, Solly Lazarus, appointed a convicted drug dealer at R50 000 per month as a 'contact person' for the unit. Durban millionaire Panganathan (Timmy) Marimuthu was sentenced to three years imprisonment in 1992 for dealing in Mandrax. Although Marimuthu's appeal was dismissed, he never went to prison, the report says. The police instead paid him R250 000 a month for the renting of 'safe houses', some of which were allegedly uninhabitable. Full Beeld report

Corruption allegations against Mdluli would not at this stage be tackled by the police's watchdog directorate, IPID executive director Francois Beukman is quoted as saying in a report on the IoL site. Beukman said that since the claims involved abuse of the secret services account, the matter did not fall under the mandate of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), but rightly belonged with the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Faith Radebe. 'Remember that in terms of the IPID Act we have specific areas of focus and matters in the intelligence field - crime intelligence, political intelligence - that is the prerogative of the Inspector-General of Intelligence,' he said. 'In terms of the issues that have been raised in the media so far, it is indicated that it flows from matters relating to the secret services account, so that falls within the parameters of the Inspector-General.' Full report on the IoL site

Meanwhile, Mdluli plans to introduce major changes in his unit, sparking fears of a looming purge of his opponents. The Sunday Times says it has seen a letter Mdluli wrote to police unions informing them of the 'reorganisation' of his division, which he said were 'necessitated' by the recent integration of the VIP Protection Unit into his department. Insiders said the latest move was Mdluli's attempt to strengthen his grip on the unit by sidelining those he perceived as rivals. Concerns were raised that this would give Mdluli, through the VIP Protection Unit, access to the movements of all Cabinet members and politicians guarded by the unit. A senior crime intelligence source reportedly told the paper this was the first of many changes Mdluli would be making to consolidate his grip on power. Full Sunday Times report