PRETORIA - The session at the Madlanga Commission got emotional on Tuesday just before the tea break.
Warrant Officer Karl Sander broke down in tears at the Commission after detailing the difficult circumstances he worked under.
READ: Hawks investigator claims intimidation after exposing KZN syndicates
And in 40 years of service, he never got recognition for his work.
Instead, he got sidelined and intimidated when he was able to link drug syndicates in KwaZulu-Natal. Some of them have ties to the police.
Sander was subject to a polygraph test, ordered by Hawks Head Leseja Senona, for the theft of a coffee machine. A coffee machine he claimed belonged to him in the first place.
Although he never received the results of the test, Adv Lee Segeels-Ncube read the results at the Commission, exonerating Sanders of allegations against him by the KZN Hawks.
He broke down in tears as the results were read out. Sander's reputation had been tarnished following the polygraph test.
READ: Madlanga Commission| Drug-related cases compromise suspects identity, says Hawks Officer
Sander testified on Monday that he started getting intimidated and targeted for exposing alleged drug syndicates.
He said it was impossible to open a drug-related case without immediately identifying a suspect. Which often raised red flags.
Apart from the coffee machine, he was also side-lined for being a director of a shooting club. He found this bizarre as he had communicated it with his subordinates.
This, for Sander, gave the impression he was being targeted for the work he had been doing.
Sander, an officer with almost 40 years of experience in the police service, was removed from his role in narcotics and moved to Supply Chain.
There, management also tried to get rid of his Scarce Skill allowance and Service Allowance. Sander fought back and won. The allowances were returned to him.
Sander has made it clear to the Commission that he does not want to return to his original post, given the challenges he was confronted with.
Thefts of exhibits at Port Shepstone were known, and they were known by senior management of the Hawks.
Senona, the KZN Hawks boss, will take to the stand on Friday.