Suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya has distanced himself from WhatsApp messages allegedly linking him to being part of a conversation between controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi and attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
After Matlala’s arrest in April, forensic analysis of his seized phone reportedly revealed messages Mogotsi sent to Matlala mentioning plans to meet with Sibiya and police minister Senzo Mchunu.
Giving his side of the story at parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system, Sibiya questioned the legitimacy of the WhatsApp messages.
“I’m not sure if it’s true or not, They still need to be investigated,” Sibiya said.
“I’m not disputing, but I doubt. I’m concerned because if this house had to invite the expert who downloaded this and say, ‘This is who I am, these are my qualifications, this is the system I used, and this is what I found, it is within my professional capacity and qualifications to be able to issue this statement.’”
He distanced himself from the messages.
“The only concern I have is that this is a discussion between two people that doesn’t involve me.
“One cannot accept responsibility for two people talking somewhere and adding our names when we’re not sure and not even part of it. I’m not part of this discussion where my name appears in a conversation between the two. They can come and explain that part.”
He argued that if the messages are real, the arrangement would have been made by him, citing that no other person can arrange meetings involving Mchunu.
“I would have been the one to write, and parliament would have been perfectly allowed to say on what basis I wrote this, but that is not the case.
“My problem is that our names are being used, saying they have arranged a meeting between the minister and Sibiya. In my case, no-one has ever arranged a meeting between the minister and me. If the minister wants a meeting, he’ll call for a meeting, or the national commissioner’s office will arrange it, not a person from outside.”
Sibiya explained how he met Mogotsi and Matlala, respectively. He said Mogotsi would call him to inform him about the alleged corruption in tenders in the North West. However, he said there was never a meeting between him and Mchunu involving Mogotsi or Matlala.
“The only meeting where we sat with the minister was in the presence of other senior managers, where the minister was questioning the issue of the tender awarded to Matlala.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.