Former police minister Bheki Cele has revealed that he knows attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala “very well,” but doesn’t know his close associate Brown Mogotsi.
Cele on Thursday appeared before parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system.
He told parliament that he had heard of Mogotsi through the media but had met Matlala at the luxurious Beverly Hills hotel in Durban in December after a raid that was conducted at his premises.
He said he was introduced to Matlala by Bongani Mpungose, the son of KZN’s notorious taxi boss Sputla Mpungose, saying Matlala wanted to see him to discuss some issues he had.
One of the issues was that Matlala felt he was being used for political games he did not understand, Cele said.
“He said he met [police minister Senzo] Mchunu with Mogotsi and they spoke about him, because he has money through tenders, to fund Mchunu’s project of becoming president or deputy president,” Cele said.
“What puzzled him about wanting to meet me is that he was told by the minister [Mchunu] that they would work together as long as they don’t come close to Cele and [former president Jacob] Zuma. That’s why he said he realised there’s a political game; hence, he wanted to see me.”
In his testimony to parliament recently, Mchunu denied ever meeting Mogotsi and Matlala in one setting.
Another issue Matlala wanted to discuss with Cele was the raid conducted at his premises.
“I asked what happened, and he said they raided him on accusations of drugs.
“I asked, ‘Where do I come in?’ He said he came to me because he realises that he’s been abused.”
After that, Cele said Matlala told him that he had been approached by deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya to write an affidavit against crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo so that Khumalo could be arrested. “Cat told me,” Cele said.
Khumalo was arrested by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), in what KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi described in his testimony before parliament as a politically motivated move.
Cele said Matlala told him he came to inform him about the case where he was told to take Khumalo and his team to court for an “unlawful” raid so that he could lose the case, leading to Sibiya finding a way to get rid of Khumalo in SAPS.
“He goes on to say he was told the affidavit against Khumalo was written by Sibiya to say they had stolen his Rolex (watch) and his wife’s jewellery. He said they must write that so that it’s not only the raid but the theft.”
Matlala brought the issue to Cele to seek his intervention to ensure Khumalo’s matter was resolved out of court so that he did not jeopardise the contract he had with SAPS.
“He said he came to me because he didn’t want to take the police to court because he had just gotten the tender and didn’t want to harm his relationship with the police.
“That’s how I know Cat, and I wish I had not met him.”
The hearings continue.
TimesLIVE
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