UPDATE: Phahlane’s court papers are not to block Ipid probe
Former acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane. Photo: ANA
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Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Phahlane’s legal papers are in relation to a different matter, not the stopping of Ipid’s probe.
Acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane reportedly filed legal papers in the North Gauteng High Court to stop an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
The top cop’s spokesperson, Brigadier Sally De Beer, on Monday confirmed to TimesLIVE that papers had been filed in the high court. However, she declined to comment further with details, saying the matter was before court.
She later said: “Please note that the intention of the High Court application is not to stop any investigation from continuing but to address specific issues to ensure that it is conducted lawfully within the constraints of specific legislation,” De Beer said.
Phahlane is currently being investigated by the police watchdog organisation for allegedly defeating the ends of justice and corruption, something he has previously suggested was part of a smear campaign against him.
Last Thursday briefing parliament’s portfolio committee on police, Phahlane confirmed he was taking legal action against Ipid and those who had allegedly “peddled lies” about him.
A search warrant for Phahlane’s Pretoria home was executed last month by 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.
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.
Dlamini on Monday said they are yet to receive the papers but the watchdog would oppose them.
