Cele claims NPA’s ID cleared him in R102 million spy equipment saga

Police Minister Bheki Cele has dismissed the suggestion he was involved in the alleged corruption relating to the purchase of surveillance equipment.

An affidavit filed by a former chief financial officer (CFO) of the Crime Intelligence’s secret services account has implicated Cele in the irregular procurement of grabbers.

‘Frivolous allegations’

Brigadier Tiyani Hlungwani reportedly filed his affidavit on 3 March alleging that the South African Police Service (Saps) spent R102 million on grabbers, a backpack grabber and an aerial grabber in 2019 without obtaining the required exemption certificate.

Cele had attempted to get the exemption certificate twice. He, however, only did it after Crime Intelligence had already acquired the spy equipment, which can be used to track the location and intercept cellular traffic of a mobile device within metres.

Hlungwani also stated that he was a witness in cases that involve Cele and other senior police officials, City Press reported.

The minister, however, has refuted Hlungwani’s allegations.

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“The affidavit referred to, which contains frivolous and unverified allegations, is merely a non-commissioned statement in response to allegations of serious misconduct levelled against the former financial officer of Crime Intelligence,” Cele said in his response to a parliamentary question from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 4 April.

“According to this statement, the matter is currently being investigated by the Investigative Directorate [ID], which resorts under the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA].

“Enquiries made with the ID confirmed that the Minister of Police is not implicated in this matter,” the minister continued.

Asked what procedures Saps had in place to deal with the allegations “in a manner that will not put the department in jeopardy”, Cele said: “An affidavit will be required for the matter to be investigated by an appropriate investigating entity, such as the Inspector-General of Intelligence or the ID.”

Blew the whistle

Hlungwani, who is currently facing disciplinary action on charges of misconduct, has claimed that he was suspended by the police’s top management for exposing corruption.

“I blew [the] whistle on this illegal procurement of grabbers and the matter was investigated by the inspector-general of intelligence.

“Peter Jacobs [then senior Crime Intelligence officer] went to the UK with Lieutenant General [Nhlanhla] Mkhwanazi [the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner] and other senior officers to purchase these grabbers without first applying for exemption.

“The matter is currently being investigated by the Investigative Directorate. The grabbers are gathering dust, some at a warehouse some three years later … and are not being used, and nobody is being charged for the fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” his affidavit reads.

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He alleged that Jacobs had put pressure on him to finalise the procurement of grabbers before April 2019.

“He said that the minister was on his back to have these grabbers purchased. I told Peter Jacobs that proper procurement processes must be followed, as well as compliance with the relevant Rica [Regulation of Interception of Communications Act] protocols, and he told me where to get off. He removed me from the team that was preparing this procurement and suspended me,” the CFO wrote.

“Lieutenant General [Dumisani] Khumalo was appointed to Crime Intelligence at the beginning of December 2022, with a specific mandate to deal with a number of senior officers, and l am one of these officers.”

Hlungwani further claimed that he has been receiving death threats.

World Cup scandal

Cele was also implicated in the 2010 Fifa World Cup tender saga by Deputy police commissioner Francinah Vuma, who was suspended last year.

Vuma handed over a 22-page dossier to the authorities that suggested Cele played a role in the accommodation scandal.

Dated 7 June 2010, the dossier bears Cele’s signature, which had given the greenlight for R47 million to be spent in order to secure accommodation, among other things, for police officers who were deployed during the World Cup.

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The document reportedly stated that two of controversial Durban businessman Thoshan Panday’s companies be appointed to provide the accommodation to the police without a competitive tender process.

Panday and his co-accused have already been charged with racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection to the R47 million tender.

The businessman, who has questioned why Cele hasn’t been charged, was granted bail of R100 000 by the Durban Magistrate’s Court in October 2020.