‘There's nothing wrong‚ I gave proof of payment for sound system’: Phahlane

Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane has denied claims that he used state resources to have a home theatre system worth more than R80,000 installed at his Pretoria home.

On Thursday afternoon‚ Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) officers carried out a raid on Phahlane’s home in search of the sound system that was installed in 2012‚ despite Phahlane saying he provided them with proof of payment for it.

“When I got a quotation from the interior designer which [works] for Sounds Great‚ I then instructed my bank to process the payment and gave them the particulars of Sounds Great‚ and said‚ ‘from my current account‚ transfer this amount which is due to them’‚ and that was done‚” said Phahlane.

• READ MORE: O’Sullivan laid charges that led to Ipid raid on top cop’s homePaul O’Sullivan is the man behind the charges against the country’s top cop which saw the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) swoop on Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane’s R8-million home on Thursday.

According to reports‚ there were allegations that the sound system had been installed in Phahlane’s home by a service provider who apparently received a contract with the police forensic science laboratory‚ which he headed at the time.

“I have contracted that person‚ in my personal capacity‚ as an interior designer‚ not as a service provider of the South African Police Service. There's nothing wrong. There were a number of things I was looking for which she had to source quotations for me‚ and they came to me‚ for which I paid myself‚” added Phahlane.

On Thursday‚ TMG Digital witnessed a convoy of five vehicles appearing to have trouble gaining access to Phahlane’s upmarket Sable Hills Waterfront Estate home.

After almost an hour‚ the officers were allowed in to raid the R8-million house and they spent about an hour inside before driving out again.

• READ MORE: Police slam 'media circus' as IPID raids commissioner's home over R80,000 sound systemIndependent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigators carried out a raid on acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane’s home on Thursday afternoon in search of an R80‚000 sound system‚ despite Phahlane having provided them with proof of payment for the system‚ police said in a statement. 

The raid was carried out just hours after Ipid investigators obtained a court-approved search warrant after they took a warning statement from him earlier in the day.

– TMG Digital