Phiyega’s 'Operation Takedown' probed

Published Nov 4, 2015

Share

FOR THE RECORD: In the story below, which appeared on the front page of  the Pretoria News on November 4, 2015, it was reported that Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane would be investigating claims of an alleged plot to “bring down” those in the police who had been seen to have been against General Riah Phiyega, the suspended national police commissioner.

The report claimed meetings took place with, among others, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, media communications head of the SAPS. 

The Pretoria News acknowledges that this report was published without the necessary checks being done to test the veracity of the information it received and without Brigadier Naidoo being afforded any opportunity to respond. The Pretoria News deeply regrets this lapse and withdraws all claims or inferences which may have impinged upon Brigadier Naidoo’s good standing.

Pretoria - Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane has launched an investigation into an alleged plot to destroy those seen to be against General Riah Phiyega.

Phahlane’s spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi told the Pretoria News on Tuesday the acting police commissioner had received the related correspondence and would be investigating the allegations. Phiyega was suspended by President Jacob Zuma last month pending an inquiry into her fitness to hold office.

“We can confirm that the acting national commissioner of the SAPS received representations, and the documents are receiving necessary attention,” Mulaudzi explained.

Crime Line head Yusuf Abramjee, who is mentioned in the plot, set the ball rolling by writing to Phahlane requesting that he take action against Phiyega’s former spokesman and right-hand man Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale.

In a document titled “Top Secret. Operation Takedown”, which the Pretoria News has seen, Makgale was alleged to have convened a meeting in Durban and at his office in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria to hatch the plot. Makgale refused to comment, saying he had not seen the document.

He allegedly met, among others, with Brigadier Vish Naidoo, unnamed senior police officials and a journalist from a Sunday newspaper, according to the document, and devised the smear campaign against those seen as Phiyega’s detractors.

The campaign was against some of Phiyega’s opponents and individuals seen to be a threat to her position as national police commissioner.

The meeting, held in Durban on October 16, took place in the wake of Phiyega’s suspension.

The document further said that Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and former national police commissioner Bheki Cele, would be discredited as part of the plot.

Cele refused to be dragged into the matter. He said there were more important issues requiring police attention.

“They must concentrate on what is on the table rather than involve themselves in other stuff. Crime is a serious problem and they must rather fight it instead of individuals,” said Cele.

In addition, the plot would bring to light some of the actions of the divisional commissioner of the detective services, Lieutenant-General Vinesh Moonoo.

He had apparently been fingered by private investigator Paul O’Sullivan for allegedly interfering with police investigations.

Abramjee would then be held responsible for the negative publicity aimed at Moonoo as part of the smear campaign.

The document also listed Makgale’s properties, active directorship in companies, as well as his involvement in the taxi industry and public relations, some of which were allegedly in direct conflict with his position as the national police spokesman.

In the e-mail Abramjee sent to the acting commissioner, he demanded that action be taken against those who were alleged to be present during the conception of the Operation Takedown document.

“The allegations are very serious and I am shocked. I hereby request an urgent and immediate investigation into the claims of dirty tricks by some SAPS members.

“You may also want to consider the immediate suspension of those implicated pending the probe because of the serious nature of the allegations.”

Makgale allegedly also had issues with Abramjee’s Crime Line and was believed to have threatened to close it down as the organisation had apparently refused the SAPS access to its financial records.

Information also came to light that Abramjee’s son, who serves as a reservist at the SAPS national office and reports to Moonoo, was illegally in possession of a police radio.

In the reports, it was suggested that Phiyega had ordered that the radio be confiscated as it was given to him illegally.

 

[email protected]

Pretoria News

*E-mail your opinion to [email protected] and we will consider it for publication or use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.

Related Topics: