Cele denies he's behind Meyiwa murder accused lawyer's arrest

28 April 2022 - 22:16
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Adv Teffo Malesela just before his arrest in North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday.
Adv Teffo Malesela just before his arrest in North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

Police  minister Bheki Cele said he had nothing to do with the arrest of Malesela Teffo, the advocate who is representing four of the five men accused of murdering former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.

Teffo was arrested inside the Pretoria high court on Thursday, apparently for failure to appear in court in a separate matter in Hillbrow.

Speaking inside the courtroom when he was arrested, Teffo said: “They are arresting me because they do not want me on this case. Bheki Cele does not want me in this case. That is the reason.”

However, Cele told eNCA on Thursday evening that he heard about the arrest only when his spokesperson Lirandzu Themba informed him about it on Thursday afternoon.

Cele said Themba later called him and told him there was a video doing the rounds in which Teffo accuses Cele of being behind his arrest.

“I know nothing about it. I have requested the national (police) commissioner to find out what happened and give me a report,” Cele said.

In a statement, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said he had since been made aware that there was a warrant of arrest issued for Teffo. He said he has requested the Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela to submit a report on the matter.

LISTEN | 'I don’t suspect any tampering,' says forensics expert in Meyiwa trial 

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