Crime Intel boss Dumisani Khumalo and co-accused cops back in court on corruption charges

The country’s top spy, Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, and six other police officers on Thursday returned to the Pretoria Magistrate's Court, on charges of fraud and corruption — a case that has reignited controversy surrounding the widespread allegations of corruption and infiltration within the South African Police Service (SAPS) ranks.

Khumalo is charged alongside six other senior police officials – crime intelligence chief financial officer (CFO) Philani Lushaba, crime intelligence technical support system manager Brigadier Dineo Mokwele, Gauteng crime intelligence boss Major-General Josias Lekalakala, head of the analysis centre Major-General Nosipho Precious Madondo, Major-General Zwelithini Gabela of the police’s technology services, and head of the vetting office Brigadier Phindile Ncube.

They were arrested in June in a wide-ranging corruption probe involving the alleged irregular appointment of a civilian, Mokwele, to a senior post at the rank of a brigadier within Crime Intelligence.

They were arrested by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).

The accused were each granted bail of between R10,000 and R20,000, but under strict conditions that now sit at the heart of the legal fight. The officers are barred from entering any Crime Intelligence premises anywhere in South Africa, among other strict bail conditions.

Khumalo and his co-accused are fighting these bail restrictions, arguing that the conditions are crippling the division’s work — and, for Khumalo, effectively suspending him from duty without a formal process.

His legal team says the bail terms are “unreasonable and unconstitutional”, preventing him from performing his role as national head of Crime Intelligence.

At the previous appearance last month, what was meant to be a routine bail-variation hearing under a new presiding officer became tense when Advocate Malesela Teffo intervened and addressed the court.

Teffo, who previously made headlines in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, told the magistrate he was appearing amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) to warn that Khumalo and his co-accused were “very dangerous people” whose release from strict bail conditions “posed a risk to state security.”

The magistrate allowed Teffo to make his submissions.

Teffo began: “Good morning, Your Worship. My name is advocate Malesela Teffo. What brought me here is that I want to bring an application for amicus curiae to be a friend of court in this matter. The reason is that I am informed that the accused are here to apply for the relaxation of their bail conditions.

“Firstly, I am also the accused in another case where your brother (another magistrate) is appearing. The basis for me to bring this application is the fact that the applicants are very dangerous people. I was in jail. They are part of sending me in jail. “When I was in jail, they were monitoring my communications in jail. Mr Khumalo, the divisional commissioner, appointed Brigadier Moyana …”

At that stage, counsel for Khumalo and others, advocate Zandile Mshololo, interjected, telling the court that Teffo was flouting court processes.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News  

Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now.