Hawks had eyes on rhino horn kingpin before expose by Al Jazeera

15 November 2016 - 14:25 By TMG Digital
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South African investigators tried to persuade Al Jazeera to think twice before screening an expose on illegal rhino horn trafficking because their probe into one of the alleged kingpins was already at an advanced stage.

But the global broadcaster could not be stopped by the Hawks.

The Poachers Pipeline‚ an investigative documentary‚ linked self-confessed rhino horn trafficker Guan Jiang Guang to State Security Minister David Mahlobo – a frequent client at his massage parlour in Mpumalanga.

The trafficker bragged to Al Jazeera about his “close connections” to Mahlobo‚ who in turn has said the allegations were ludicrous and called for a thorough police investigation.

“I am not a friend of the guy‚ nor have I been ever to his home‚” said Mahlobo.

Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi on Tuesday said the unit had been investigating suspects mentioned in the documentary for some time.

“We were aware of this investigative documentary by Al Jazeera‚” he said in an interview with radio station CapeTalk.

“We did try to convince them‚ but not to stifle their editorial policy‚ but just to tell them‚ ‘Look‚ we have already gone too far in terms of a project against the main suspect who was on that documentary.’ But we could not stop them. Then they went ahead‚” he said.

Business Day revealed on Tuesday that Guan appears to have gone into hiding. Workers at his Nelspruit massage parlour said he feared for his life after the documentary was aired.

Mulaudzi said serious allegations had been levelled against Mahlobo.

“He has come out also to say that he is clean. He has already contacted the provincial commissioner of Mpumalanga.”

He confirmed that the Hawks would investigate the allegations.

– TMG Digital

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