PRETORIA - Jailed police sergeant Fannie Nkosi has accused officials from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) of intimidation and abuse of power in a complaint before the Madlanga Commission.
In a sworn affidavit read before the commission on Tuesday, Nkosi claims that on 13 July -- the same day Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s plea deal in the R228 million corruption case collapsed -- he was visited by nine IDAC officials who were allegedly seeking evidence against National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo.
Nkosi alleges the officials questioned him about his relationship with Matlala and threatened to charge him with corruption because he had previously been in possession of Matlala’s bank card, which he testified about before the commission.
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According to Nkosi, one of the officials, whom he identified as Suneel Bellochun, asked what he knew about the relationship between Matlala, Masemola and Khumalo.
"I told him that I knew nothing about any corrupt relationships he was asking about and that I knew Vusimuzi Matlala had close ties with Lieutenant General Sibiya and Major General Khan," Nkosi said in the affidavit.
In the affidavit, Nkosi further claimed:
"Bellochun informed me that I must not give him a nonsensical explanation about Matlala's card being left in the jet ski boat because Matlala had already given him a clear explanation of how I came to possess the bank card."
Nkosi also claims that when he requested to be interviewed in the presence of his legal representative, his request was refused. He further alleges that one of the officials photographed him without his permission during the interview.
Responding to the allegations, former IDAC head Andrea Johnson, who is testifying before the Madlanga Commission, said that if the claims are true, they are serious.
"The timing can't be ignored. One would have to understand what created this urgent situation that had to be dealt with and why it was dealt with in the manner that it was," Johnson said.
She added that IDAC’s standard practice is to communicate through an accused person’s legal representative before conducting an interview.
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"If you want to see an accused person, you must engage their legal representative, make the necessary arrangements and indicate why you want to engage the client."
Johnson said that, if Nkosi’s allegations are accurate, the officials’ conduct would be unacceptable.
"If it is true, this is conduct that is very unbecoming. There is no logic in wanting to do this in a manner that amounts to pestering," she said.