‘Let’s put those things in court’ – Cele responds to allegations he doesn’t want Teffo on Meyiwa case

Police Minister Bheki Cele says Advocate Malesela Teffo must present his case and evidence against the minister and whoever he believes is behind his arrest in the court of law.

The minister was responding to Teffo, who alleged the police arrested him because Cele did not want him representing the four men accused of Senzo Meyiwa’s murder.

Teffo was arrested on Thursday afternoon, right after court adjourned for the day, for allegedly failing to show up in court for another case.

During his arrest, he alleged the reason he was being arrested was because Cele didn’t want him on the case.

READ MORE: Advocate Malesela Teffo: Here’s why Cele allegedly doesn’t want him around

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Thursday evening, Cele said he heard from his spokesperson Lirandzu Themba that Teffo had been arrested.

“I left Pretoria in the morning and was in Pimville at 8am and I left the area a little after 3pm. I received a message from spokesperson Lirandzu saying that the advocate has been arrested. At 3:41pm I saw the message that the accusation is that the arrest is pushed by Bheki Cele and others. I immediately contacted the national commissioner to get a full report of what happened and I will wait for that report. Until I know what happened, I am not able to comment on this matter,” said Cele.

Cele said he would only comment on the manner in which the arrest was handled after reading the report.

On allegations that senior police officers had contaminated evidence and are busy covering up what could implicate him, Cele said: “The case is in court, the advocate is in court, all those things must be said in court. Why do you have a parallel trial? Let’s wait for the outcomes because he [Teffo] has the platform to prove all those things, and then we have the outcome. I’m not going to try the case out of court when the advocate is doing that. Let’s wait, let’s put those things in court.

“The sooner the case is finished, the better. But I’m told the case has been postponed until May. If the case was done eight years ago that would have been best for us, but we appreciate the progress.”

National Commissioner of the SAPS General Fannie Masemola has requested the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, to submit a report on Teffo’s arrest.