NCC's Adams says he wishes to appear before the commission to defend himself.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has accused politicians, including members of parliament, of gaining access to Crime Intelligence information and mishandling it.
On Thursday, he flagged Fadiel Adams, founder of the National Coloured Congress (NCC), for opening three criminal cases based on the Crime Intelligence information he accessed.
“Adams appears to have come into possession of intelligence information, and this information is classified in its nature, which Adams should not be in possession of. It is information intended for another parliamentary structure,” Mkhwanazi told the commission.
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“If it comes into his possession as a lawmaker, he ought to know that when he is in possession of information from Crime Intelligence that is classified, it must be handed over to the Joint Standing Committee of Intelligence to be interrogated, regardless of the status of that information.
“This information involved personal information of individuals extracted by Crime Intelligence when conducting a vetting process for security clearance for individuals. It’s very sensitive information because it involves digging deeper into personal details. Adams does not serve on that committee; he serves on the portfolio committee of police. He made the information public.”
Criminal cases
Mkhwanazi said on 29 October 2024, Adams opened three cases at the Cape Town Police Station based on the Crime Intelligence information.
“The contents of the cases do not warrant the registration of a case — there is no element of crime in his complaints. He was complaining about the vetting procedures in Crime Intelligence, a space that he ought not to play in,” said Mkhwanazi.
“He takes this sensitive information and goes to the police station and opens a case, meaning he has records within Crime Intelligence of the information he should not be in possession of.”
Crime Intelligence faced allegations that police were manipulating systems within the vetting process. Adams further claimed there is an abuse of the secret fund account at Crime Intelligence.
“He does not have an oversight role or have knowledge about the budget allocated because he’s not part of that committee. He claims the funds are being channelled to unauthorised places, including the procurement of vehicles for the task team in KZN.
“Adams further claimed that the PKTT [Political Killings Task Team] is a private entity that provides services to the former minister of police, Bheki Cele. He accused the PKTT of being an armed force of Bheki Cele. He made claims of an irregular appointment at Crime Intelligence.”
Two days later, Adams opened the same cases at the Orlando Police Station, said Mkhwanazi.
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On 1 November, he sent an email to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu complaining that there were efforts to undermine the investigation of these cases and requested the minister to intervene.
“As we investigate, you will pick up some linkages of his involvement in this work that the team is doing in uncovering the criminal syndicates within the police,” said Mkhwanazi.
Adams’ complaint was concluded as premature.
Adams calls task team a ‘terror group’
Adams hit back at Mkhwanazi, accusing the police commissioner of being “fixated” on him. Although he confirmed “gaining access” to sensitive information, he questioned how Mkhwanazi viewed that as wrongdoing.
“Is it because I am the reason that his buddy, [Dumisani] Khumalo, is now before the courts for alleged corruption? I don’t understand,” Adams told eNCA on Thursday.
“I’m hoping to appear before the commission because I want to tell my side. Apparently, in the eyes of a four-star general, a whole police commissioner, when you gain access to evidence that points to corruption at the very highest level, that apparently becomes a crime.”
Adams has previously described the task team as a terror group.
“The R415 million that is being spent on the political killings task team for 170 murders is disgraceful, and I’ll tell you where that money comes from because the slides only gave us very scant details,” he told the portfolio committee on police in March.
“These people were being housed in five-star hotels and lodges. The political killing task team is nothing more than a terror group.”
READ MORE: Political killings task team ‘nothing more than a terror group’, millions spent on it ‘disgraceful’
