Former top cop Phahlane welcomes raid

A raid by Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigators on Monday on several properties is believed to have yielded a wealth of evidence in the cases of money laundering and corruption against Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane.

The Hawks are believed to have helped in the raid directed by the Special Commercial Crimes Unit. The former acting police commissioner said he was not at home at the time of the search, however, his wife was and denied the allegations against him.

“They were there looking for any transactions relating to computers and contracts… they have found none of that, because such does not exist. They took two of my iPads, my daughters’ school computers and cellphones and when it came to documents, they took an e-mail which was sent to me by [forensic consultant Paul] O’Sullivan insulting me and accusing me of all these things.”

Phahlane said he was glad the raid happened and he encouraged the investigation to continue so that his name could be cleared.

Armed with search warrants from various courts, investigators hit a total of seven properties, including Phahlane’s home in Sable Hills, Keith Keating’s Forensic Data Analysts offices and home, car dealer Durand Snyman’s office and home, Colonel Johann Potgieter’s home of the Saps Technology Management Services – alleged to have received two vehicles from Snyman – and Phahlane’s sister’s house, where a vehicle was seized.

Acting on information received, investigators also searched a Saps building site in Silverton and apparently recovered R374 million worth of radio-frequency identification tags. Documents alleging Phahlane’s involvement in the fabrication of cases against Ipid head Robert McBride and Ipid investigators were allegedly also found at Phahlane’s house.

Phahlane said the investigators instead found a document related to activities by McBride from when he was head of Ekurhuleni metro police.

“Those documents had nothing to do with the warrant and they were just trying to cover up on their part. My daughters (10 and 14) were also manhandled. They were stopped on their way out to a friend’s house… and searched by two men from Ipid, which I really took exception to,” he said.

It’s understood Local Criminal Record Centre equipment was found at Keating’s offices and documents removed from his home.

The Hawks referred questions to Ipid. They refused to comment.

– news@citizen.co.za

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