Complex web of ‘fakery’ surrounds Mogoeng break-in suspects – report

A potentially explosive investigation by News24 has uncovered that nothing about the three men arrested for the break-in at Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s offices last week just don’t add up.

Two of the suspects appeared in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court on unrelated charges on Wednesday, while one of the suspects’ brothers, Nkosinathi “Moses” Msimang, continues to be sought  in connection with the theft of 15 laptops with judicial information on them.

Sources close to the investigation had earlier on Friday told Business Day Msimango was being protected by elements in state security.

The theft and related cases have sparked fears that it might be a form of government intimidation, with many commentators likening it to a Watergate-style theft, but the state has denied this.

The three suspects arrested so far were found at Msimango’s Mamelodi home this week after a tip-off, but Msimango was not there.

At a press conference on Wednesday Phahlane called on Msimango – who he said had “critical information” about the case and was in the vicinity of Mamelodi during the time of the arrests, to report to his nearest police station to “assist in this matter”.

When questioned, he denied that the man was a suspect.

Phahlane said the statements implicating state agencies in the crime were “demoralising” and did not assist the investigation process. He was clearly referring to the fact that, in some quarters, suspicion had fallen on State Security Minister David Mahlobo.

The EFF’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu tweeted on Saturday that: “My rational suspicion is that the State Security Agency (Mahlobo) broke into the chief justice’s office and stole computers.”

The chief whip of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, also tweeted that his money was on Mahlobo and the “kak-handed” State Security Agency being behind the break-in.

Phahlane said the arrested men were not insiders at the chief justice’s offices.

“They are just criminals.”

However, News24 claims they have “unearthed a web of work histories that appear to be fake, telephone numbers that go unanswered or that are no longer in use, and what appears to be false residential addresses” for the arrested men.

Brian Dube, the State Security Agency spokesperson, told News24 he would not justify any speculation over the security agency’s involvement in the break-in by offering them a response.

The agency has continued to deny it has been involved in any way.

For all the details about News24’s investigation, click here.