Burgess bid to be spy boss could fail

04 June 2015 - 02:18 By Babalo Ndenze

Former senior ANC MP Cecil Burgess might not be in line to be the next intelligence watchdog chief after all. Parliament decided to start the selection process afresh after it failed to find a suitable candidate for the top security job.Burgess had topped a previous list of eight shortlisted candidates who were interviewed for the inspector-general for intelligence position, but the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence decided to re-advertise.The new candidates that the sub-committee has added to the list are Mahlubandile Radebe, Desirée Elizabeth Fouché and Annelize Gerber.Committee chairman Connie September said: "The committee felt we must re-advertise."The office of the inspector-general oversees the State Security Agency, as well as military and police crime intelligence, and has the authority to investigate abuses of power by intelligence operatives.September said the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence will make the final decision.She said: "That committee might decide no, they might decide yes, they might decide we will send you back again, so they will be subjected to that."If they decide they accept the recommendation then of course the committee will accordingly invite applicants and also make sure interviews start soon."While the meetings were open to the media, CVs and documents are still classified as confidential.The Right2Know campaign, amaBhungane and the Institute for Security Studies had previously sent letters to the committee and the speaker calling for the selection of the inspector-general to be held in the open...

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