Hawks treason plot probe ‘is typical of the paranoia of our times’

Explosive allegations have emerged that a political plot has been hatched to assassinate high-ranking policing and government officials.

Central to the plot are Independent Policing Investigative Directorate (Ipid) boss Robert McBride‚ private investigator Paul O'Sullivan‚ former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibya and suspended crime intelligence agent Captain Candice Coetzee.

The four are being investigated for treason‚ espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.

The four‚ according to Hawks sources‚ were allegedly planning to assassinate acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane‚ Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza‚ National Prosecuting head advocate Shaun Abrahams and newly appointed State Security Agency Director-General Arthur Fraser.

McBride has recently returned to office after a case of fraud and defeating the ends of justice against him and two Ipid investigators was thrown out of court. That case concerned his alleged altering of a report which cleared former Hawks head Anwa Dramat and Sibiya for their alleged involvement in the rendition of Zimbabwe nationals back to that country where several of them were later murdered.

McBride was suspended by Police Minister Nathi Nhleko for allegedly altering the report.

Nhleko was also recently taken to task by the Constitutional Court for the way he handled McBride's suspension.

Ipid is currently investigating Ntlemeza for abuse of power and the misuse of police resources to conduct investigations into the South African Revenue Service‚ which led to charges being laid against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and gave international investors the jitters and threatened to impact the country’s sovereign credit rating.

The allegations are contained in a detailed affidavit which was deposed by Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Prince Mokotedi on Monday.

A Hawks officer‚ who asked not to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media‚ said the allegations were that the four had met with different opposition political party members while formulating their plans.

“They apparently met with DA (Democratic Alliance) and AfriForum members. But at this stage there is so much smoke and mirrors being played that no one really knows what’s going on.

“There is major political upheaval coming. The big political players are upset. You have the state capture report‚ the fact that McBride is back at his post‚ and the whole saga around Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza‚ and allegations against Phahlane that he is on the take.

“It’s embarrassing‚ to say the least‚ and people want this mess to go away. They want those making their lives difficult removed.”

Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Malaudzi‚ when asked about allegations contained in Mokotedi's affidavit about opposition political party members being involved in the plot‚ said he could neither deny nor confirm the allegations.

“What I can say is that an affidavit has been deposed. It contains allegations of a plot to assassinate senior government officials and also to rubbish their integrity using certain media. These are the two main issues.

“The people being targeted are seen as a threat and are aligned to the president. These people - the targets - are relentless in terms of investigations that supposedly connect senior government officials to corruption and other high-profile cases under investigation by the targets."

He declined to name who the alleged targets of the assassinations were‚ or the alleged suspects in the plot.

Mulaudzi said the allegations came to light on Monday.

On whether security around the so-called targets would be increased‚ Mulaudzi said that was a decision Phahlane would have to take.

“We can say that the information was sources through crime intelligence agents and other very reliable sources.”

He said no arrests had been made as yet “as we are still investigating the allegations”.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini said that the allegations were false.

“This is being done to mislead the public. We are not concerned by this in as far as the veracity of the allegations.

“The concern is that people in high office are going to this extent to falsely implicate people in wrongdoing. It is the same pattern that we have seen since the rendition saga began. It is being repeated by the very same characters.”

James Selfe‚ DA MP and chairman of the party's federal council‚ said the allegations sounded like they came out of a chapter of Alice in Wonderland.

“This is completely and utterly bizarre and typical of the paranoia of our times. It’s Spy vs Spy come real.”

He said that‚ to the best of his knowledge‚ no DA member had met with the suspects‚ “although we are a big organisation and I cannot vouch for everyone and who they meet or do not meet”.

“I simply wouldn’t know if they have met with one of the so-called suspects‚” Selfe added.

–TMG Digital/The Times