Corruption cloud over man earmarked as Cele's successor

But, the report notes, Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli is unlikely to face criminal charges. It says the Hawks, which uncovered the rot in the unit, were recently told to suspend all investigations into Mdluli and other Crime Intelligence fraud and corruption. The paper says it is in possession of a 13-page police report, lifts the lid on the extent of Mdluli's alleged corruption (details of which are listed in the report online) at the unit since his appointment as the police's chief spy by President Jacob Zuma's Cabinet in July 2009. The report, compiled by senior Crime Intelligence Majors General Chris de Kock and Mark Hankel, was submitted to the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Advocate Faith Radebe, on 4 November 2011. Mdluli was suspended last year after being arrested for murder and fraud. Both charges have since been withdrawn in what the paper says are seen as attempts by senior politicians and securocrats to secure Mdluli's return to the police, ultimately replacing Cele. Mdluli's attorney, Ike Motloung, reportedly said the paper's questions show how 'elements in the SAPS and their cohorts in the media have stooped so low that they no longer have a sense of what is intelligence material or not... and no longer care about the law regarding intelligence operations or exposure of intelligence operations or operatives'. Full City Press report

The NPA allegedly acted against the advice of a senior advocate when it withdrew murder charges against Mdluli last month, claims a City Press report. It says Advocate Modise Khoza advised the NPA not to drop charges against Mdluli and his three fellow accused for allegedly killing Vosloorus resident Oupa Ramogibe in 1999. Mdluli and Ramogibe were allegedly dating the same woman when he was shot dead. In February Advocate Andrew Chauke, Director of Public Prosecutions in Johannesburg, withdrew charges against them and ordered a judicial inquest into Ramogibe's death.This he did after receiving representations from Mdluli's lawyer, Ike Motloung. The report says Khoza advised Chauke not to withdraw charges after examining the representations and the strength of the evidence. Full City Press report

The fact the charges have been dropped suggests the independence of the Hawks may have been compromised. Political analyst Professor André Duvenhage is quoted in a report in The Citizen as saying that since President Jacob Zuma became head of state there were serious questions about the independence of prosecuting authorities. He said the prosecuting authorities were increasingly political rather than legal. Duvenhage said a truly independent group was needed to probe the Mdluli claims. McIntosh Polela, of the Hawks, yesterday confirmed acting Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told them to drop investigations into Mdluli and the Crime Intelligence Unit. 'We have suspended investigations into Crime Intelligence; the decision was given by the Police Commissioner. We have not been given reasons for this,' Polela said yesterday. Full report in The Citizen