Crime cops in firing line in parliament

The newly appointed acting head of crime intelligence General Pat Mokushane came under fire at his first appearance in parliament yesterday.

He and acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba appeared before parliament's police committee to detail their plans to restructure the police's criminal intelligence unit.

But MPs wanted to know more about Mokushane's past following claims that there were skeletons in his closet.

Shortly after Mokushane was appointed reports surfaced that he did not have a top secret security clearance and he had appointed his wife as his personal assistant.

ANC MP and committee chairman Francois Beukman quizzed both about the security clearance certificate.

Mothiba said he had been assured by Mokushane that he had security clearance but he was still waiting for a copy of it. Asked how long it took to get a certificate, Mothiba said: "It doesn't take a long time but General Mokushane has been very busy."

Beukman wanted to know how Mothiba had decided to appoint Mokushane, without the correct paperwork already "in the file".

Mothiba conceded that this was an oversight but said he had been more concerned with Mokushane's experience and background in crime intelligence.

Mokushane said he had undergone the vetting and polygraph testing required for clearance about "three or four years ago".

He said at the polygraph tests the examiners would indicate if a person had reacted incorrectly to any of the questions and no such concerns had been raised.

DA MP Zak Mbhele asked Mokushane about reports that his wife had been appointed as his PA, to which he replied: "My wife is not a PA. She has been with the crime intelligence head office in the technical support unit for about four years. She is not in my office."