Former KwaZulu-Natal hawks boss gets bail

Former KZN Hawks head Rajen Aiyer as well as another police officer‚ Captain Dhanpal Mundhree‚ were released on R1‚000 bail each after the pair were arrested by police watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) on Wednesday.

Aiyer and Mundhree appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on charges of perjury as well as defeating the ends of justice.

The charges relate to an incident in 2013 in which Aiyer and his girlfriend were robbed at knifepoint while in a car at Durban's Blue Lagoon.

The two were prohibited from contacting any witnesses in the case‚ and had to surrender their passports.

When the matter found its way to court a year later‚ cracks emerged in Aiyer’s testimony‚ prompting Durban Regional Court magistrate Anand Maharaj to suggest that former provincial commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni’s office investigate potential charges of misconduct and defeating the ends of justice against him. The robbery charges were withdrawn against the accused in the matter.

At the time‚ he was accused of trying to prevent his girlfriend from testifying and writing her police statement.

Mundhree is believed to have played a role in the investigation of the robbery.

Aiyer was previously in command of the now disbanded Cato Manor Serious and Violent Crimes Unit which was later dubbed a "death squad".