I would have chosen Mauritius, not Durban, says Jiba on ‘secret flight’

Suspended deputy national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba was in a defiant mood when she testified at the Mokgoro commission on Thursday morning.

The commission is trying to determine whether she and suspended special director of public prosecutions Lawrence Mrwebi are fit for office.

Earlier in February, Colonel Kobus Roelofse, a Hawks officer appointed to investigate corruption allegations against former crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli in 2011, told the commission that Jiba had flown to Durban with Mdluli, allegedly to meet someone from the ANC, saying he had seen invoices with Jiba’s name on them.

Jiba was confronted at the inquiry about her relationship with Mdluli.

“I know general Mdluli as an ordinary police officer. I know many police officials,” was her curt reply.

READ MORE: ‘Snail’ Mrwebi denies he was the ‘cheapest of all’ for Bosasa to bribe

She was then specifically asked if he was her friend, to which she replied “no”.

Next she was confronted on whether the flight to Durban ever took place.

“I was never in any flight that gets paid for out of a secret services account,” she said.

“I suppose if I wanted a trip, and if I was able to get a trip, I would never have chosen a Durban,” she continued, adding that she would have preferred a flight “at least to Mauritius”.

Jiba is on the stand to speak in her defence against several damning allegations that have been made against her.

Jiba has also been tried for fraud and perjury related to charges that were instituted by the National Prosecuting Authority against former Hawks boss Johan Booysen.

However, Jiba told the inquiry earlier on Thursday that her decision to charge Booysen had not been unlawful.

The inquiry is looking into alleged anomalies raised regarding the pair’s conduct in several court cases, including the decision to withdraw charges against Mdluli.

WATCH LIVE: There was nothing unlawful about my decision to charge Booysen – Jiba

Adverse findings were made by the courts against Mrwebi and Jiba, and the latter has taken the matter to the Constitutional Court.

Both Jiba and Mrwebi were recently also implicated in the Bosasa kickbacks scandal by the company’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi, who made the allegations at the ongoing Zondo commission, which is probing state capture.

Jiba lashed out against Agrizzi on Thursday too, disputing all of his evidence against her as false.

Agrizzi claimed that Bosasa paid Jiba and Mrwebi R100,000 and R10,000 respectively to assist them by providing them with any important information of criminal investigations against the company and its top management.

The pair have denied all bribery allegations.

(Additional reporting by ANA)

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