By Norman Joseph
A storm is brewing in prisons over claims that Tony Yengeni continues to enjoy preferential treatment, even after his release under correctional supervision.
Warders say the convicted fraudster has been given "phase four" status for his correctional supervision instead of phase one or two status, which are usually prescribed for his type of offence.
A senior warder described Yengeni's placing as "out of the ordinary".
According to prison sources, the head of the Cape Town Community Corrections Centre (Commcor), deputy director M Ngalonkulu, also instructed officers at the centre that only he and a senior correctional officer assigned to Yengeni would be allowed to visit him as part of a monitoring process that checks whether former prisoners are honouring their restrictions.
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Approached for comment, Ngalonkulu said: "I have no authority to speak to you."
When told about allegations about the instruction, he said: "Where did you hear that? That's news to me."
A third allegation is that after Yengeni's release from Malmesbury prison on January 16, warders from the Cape Town Commcor office were suddenly summoned to attend a meeting at Pollsmoor prison in Tokai the next day.
Sources allege that while the Commcor officials were away, Yengeni arrived at the Cape Town offices to report to Ngalonkulu and another senior correctional services officer whose identity is known to the Cape Argus. Ngalonkulu also denied this.
The Cape Argus contacted Luphumzo Kebeni, spokesperson for Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, to ask him about the allegations, but he ended the call abruptly.
A phase four convict out on parole or correctional supervision would have fewer restrictions on his or her movements compared to those on phase one, two and three.
More than a week after his release, Yengeni, who is known to have visited the Cape Town Commcor office on Monday and Wednesday to see Ngalonkulu, has not yet been assigned a venue at which to perform his 16 hours of monthly community service.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on January 26, 2007
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