Details: Inside the Phahlane investigation

A search warrant for acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane’s Pretoria home was executed yesterday by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

It is believed Ipid was searching for the paper trail on a more than R80 000 sound system installed into Phahlane’s R8 million mansion by a manufacturer of chemicals used in police forensic investigations, who allegedly purchased the sound system.

SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said Phahlane had paid the money for the system from his account to the store, and could prove it.

A technician, who allegedly delivered the system to Phahlane’s home, yesterday accompanied the multiple investigators to identify, secure and photograph the equipment as evidence.

The search comes after Ipid seized invoices tracing the purchase as investigations of alleged corruption continued against Phahlane.

Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said he would not comment on an ongoing investigation. However, sworn statements forming part of Ipid’s investigation claim Jolanta Komodolowicz paid for the home theatre system in 2012, which was subsequently installed at Phahlane’s home.

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Komodolowicz is a director of Crimetech Laboratories, which supplies the police with forensic supplies vital to crime scene management and was the director of a company called Kriminalistik, which – according to an invoice – appears, on the face of it, to have paid for the system.

“During a site visit to Crimetech offices in early 2012 by the SAPS LCRC senior management, Gen Phahlane complimented the style and quality of decoration and business equipment at our offices,” Komodolowicz said.

“He specifically asked who the decorator was and I confirmed I had personally decorated our offices and selected the required business equipment.

“Gen Phahlane then asked if I would be willing to advise him on decorating the house he was building at that time. I agreed to advise Gen Phahlane in a strictly business arrangement for which I have been remunerated. I am in possession of the record of EFT payment for this service.

“It was Gen Phahlane’s responsibility to approve my recommendation and purchase specific items. I recommended, among others, that he purchase a home theatre system similar to the one installed in our offices, from a specialist supplier, who I regularly use.

“It is my understanding that Gen Phahlane followed my recommendation and indeed purchased the said system from the recommended supplier – you can request a proof for such purchase from the general himself.”

However, it is Kriminalistik’s and Komolodowicz’s names on the invoice seen by The Citizen, not Phahlane’s. “Neither Kriminalistik nor Crimetech has ever paid any private expenses of members of the SAPS or any SAPS personnel, including Gen Phahlane,” said Komodolowicz.

In 2012, auditing company CPN Forensic and Accounting Services was appointed to conduct an audit after allegations by Popcru found Crimetech may have “benefited from VAT-inclusive prices without having being registered for VAT and without having paid such VAT over to Sars”.

CPN also found that on “face value it appears there may have been collusion between Crimetech Laboratories and Kriminalistik” with regard to certain contracts, as well as finding there may have been collusion between the two companies when applying for police tenders.

“All allegations were investigated and continue to be investigated and thus cannot be dignified with a response,” Mulaudzi said.

“It is public record that Crimetech and Kriminalistik never concurrently tendered for the same product or service in any state tenders,” said Komodolowicz.

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