Home raid angers Phahlane

South Africa's top cop is consulting his lawyers after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate raided his home yesterday.

Ipid investigators met Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane in his office yesterday to take a warning statement from him and serve him with a search warrant for his luxury home in Pretoria's Sable Hills Waterkloof Estate at Roodeplaat Dam.

Investigators spent an hour searching the R8-million property.

Directorate sources said investigators were looking for evidence of an R80,000 sound system that Phahlane is alleged to have had installed in his home in exchange for securing a police tender for a service provider.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini declined to comment on the raid.

"It is part of an ongoing operation," he said.

Police spokesman Brigadier Sally de Beer confirmed Phahlane met Ipid investigators at his office.

"The meeting was in connection with allegations under investigation by Ipid.

"Phahlane provided Ipid with the sound system's proof of payment, but despite this a media circus was conducted at his home, which traumatised his family.

"It is against this background that the investigation is considered an assault on Phahlane's character and integrity. He has briefed his lawyers to take this matter forward," De Beer said.

Freedom Under Law chairman Johan Kriegler said the raid did not come as a surprise because there had been "interaction between Phahlane and [Ipid chief Robert] McBride for some time".

"One could have anticipated this, but I cannot say what the possible motive for this raid is," the former judge said.