Campaign to sabotage transformation targets Ntlemeza: Hawks

30 January 2015 - 12:36 By Sapa
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There is a relentless campaign against acting Hawks head Maj-Gen Berning Ntlemeza to sabotage transformation within the organisation, a spokesman said on Friday.

"Those opposed to the appointment of ... Ntlemeza are working tirelessly to hinder, discourage and even reverse the transformation of the directorate," Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement.

"This is the continuation of a relentless campaign by individuals whom we believe are within our ranks, and they have the illusion that they can frustrate and sabotage the Hawks' radical transformation."

Mulaudzi was reacting to a Thursday report, published by Afrikaans language daily Beeld, that Ntlemeza ordered the investigating officer in a perjury case involving three senior prosecutors to personally deliver the case docket to his office.

Beeld reported that this order was given hours after investigating officer Theunis de Klerk on Tuesday took warning statements in the perjury case involving advocates Nomgcobo Jiba, Lawrence Mrwebi and Sibongile Mzinyathi.

A warning statement is one of the final stages of a criminal investigation and allows an accused to give their version of the story to the investigating officer, if they choose to do so.

The newspapers reported that the perjury case related to statements the three prosecutors made under oath, and their alleged conduct, in the decision to drop corruption charges against suspended police crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli.

Four sources from the Hawks and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) told Beeld the investigating officer was given an instruction to hand the perjury docket to Ntlemeza. Mulaudzi has denied the allegation.

The newspaper further claimed that Ntlemeza was Mdluli's ally.

In 2012, Ntlemeza compiled a report which was submitted to the Boksburg Magistrate's Court at a murder inquest involving Mdluli. The inquest was into the killing of Mdluli's ex-lover's husband, Oupa Ramogiba, in 1999.

According to Ntlemeza's report, the re-opening of the murder case was part of a plot within crime intelligence to stop Mdluli's promotion.

Mulaudzi on Friday said the Hawks had "noted with discontent new attempts by the so-called sources who are being used to desperately and hysterically destabilise the directorate in order to gain cheap political mileage".

He said the articles were baseless allegations which were not factual.

Two weeks ago, the Hawks criticised the City Press for another article it published about Ntlemeza travelling to Cape Town, allegedly to collect a docket relating to the investigation into Mdluli, and the purging of Hawks staff.

At the time, City Press editor Ferial Haffajee said the paper stood by its story, which was based on several sources.

Said Mulaudzi on Friday: "These covert statements are a feeble attempt to perpetuate propaganda.

"We deny all reported sensationalised allegations that Maj-Gen Ntlemeza has demanded any dockets in so far as investigations regarding senior NPA prosecutors and all other baseless allegations levelled against him."

He said all corruption cases are dealt with by the anti-corruption task team.

"It is disturbing to note that Maj-Gen Ntlemeza's standing is questioned despite him leading the directorate. He has the right to ask for progress on any matter and there is nothing wrong with that," said Mulaudzi.

"He has full oversight control on all investigations and sadly those perpetuating these empty allegations see things differently. The sooner they accept that Ntlemeza is the acting head of the Hawks the better."

Mulaudzi said he was disappointed with the media for questioning Ntlemeza's credibility.

"We believe that some of these misfits are spreading these malicious and untrue statements to divert attention from their own undesirable activities," he said.

 

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