A defiant head of the Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Robert McBride, on Tuesday challenged Gauteng Hawks boss Prince Mokotedi to do a polygraph test on live television to prove his innocence after the latter levelled serious criminal charges against him.
“Here’s the thing. I would like to challenge the complainant in this matter, General Prince Mokotedi that him and I do a polygraph live on TV at the same time. We will pay for it,” McBride told journalists during a press briefing in Pretoria.
“No matter what you do, the truth cannot be changed by smoke and mirrors. This is a hairbrained scheme, similar to the fire pool story. We have no fear about this. It will collapse like the rendition matter. We are unafraid, we are unintimidated.”
The Ipid boss said the timing of the pressing of the charges was sinister. “The timing of these charges is very critical and people should interrogate that,” said McBride.
On Monday, Mokotedi laid numerous charges – including high treason, corruption, defeating the ends of justice, tax evasion and espionage – against McBride, former Gauteng Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) boss Shadrack Sibiya, private forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and crime intelligence officer Captain Candice Coetzee.
The four are accused of trying to oust President Jacob Zuma.
McBride said he was unmoved by the grave allegations levelled against him by Mokotedi.
“The allegations made are based on a supposed set of information, hearsay of hearsay from a single source. The statement that has been made must be rejected completely that there is any illegal activity that Ipid investigators are involved in,” McBride told reporters.
“I’m not aware of a situation where any illegal activity was discussed with me or my investigators, or with anybody else. Paul O’Sullivan is a complainant in a number of matters against members of the DPCI (Hawks) and the police. In terms of our experience with Paul O’Sullivan, his information is always right.”
McBride said “even in instances where we thought his information was not correct, it was later found that he was correct”.
On Tuesday, McBride said there was nothing sinister with the Ipid officials’ meetings with O’Sullivan.
“As a complainant, we will regularly meet with him. He will assist us with investigations, as is the duty of every citizen and every organ of state – to assist Ipid with its investigations. That’s a given that we will meet with complainants. SAPS and the DPCI do it also,” said McBride. – African News Agency