Top cops in the dock

The Sunday Independent has established, through several independent sources, that plans are afoot to charge Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoe, Brigadier Sharon Govender, Brigadier Darius van der Ross and Brigadier Kolindren Govender with corruption and racketeering.

The Sunday Independent has established, through several independent sources, that plans are afoot to charge Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoe, Brigadier Sharon Govender, Brigadier Darius van der Ross and Brigadier Kolindren Govender with corruption and racketeering.

Published Sep 14, 2014

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Johannesburg - National police commissioner Riah Phiyega has escaped criminal charges, but some of her top cops, including Western Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer, may not be so lucky.

The Sunday Independent has established, through several independent sources, that plans are afoot to charge Lamoer, Brigadier Sharon Govender, Brigadier Darius van der Ross and Brigadier Kolindren Govender with corruption and racketeering.

The tops cops are expected to be charged alongside Cape Town businessman Salim Dawjee, who was allegedly involved in a corrupt relationship with them, and allegedly showered them with expensive gifts and money.

The National Prosecuting Authority announced on Saturday that a decision had been taken not to charge Phiyega.

The NPA said: “After an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), the executive director of Ipid referred the docket to National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Mxolisi Nxasana. The NDPP then referred the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape advocate Rodney de Kock to make a decision.

“Advocate De Kock has satisfied himself that the Ipid investigation is complete. After duly considering the statements and evidence in the docket and in the light of all the circumstances, the DPP has declined to prosecute.

“It is considered that there are no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution.”

Hawks spokesman Paul Ramaloko told The Sunday Independent that Lamoer and the other three officers were informed on Wednesday that the Hawks required warning statements from them.

A warning statement is obtained from suspects once police are convinced of the strength of their prima facie case and are about the send it to NDPP for a decision.

“We have sent letters asking them to avail themselves so that we can take warning statements next week,” he said.

He said a docket had come back from the DPP which made recommendations that warning statements should be taken from the four senior police officers in “order to get their sides of the story”.

Ramaloko added that the investigations were at an advanced stage.

He said the top police officials had been investigated for allegations of colluding with drug dealers.

Ramaloko said that, once the warning statements had been obtained from them, the docket would be referred back to the NPA.

“If there are grounds to charge them, the formal charges will then be crafted.”

Sources questioned why Lamoer and the other three top officials were still at work. “It is obvious that there is a criminal case against them. These are serious allegations against top police officials. If police take warning statements, it means that there is a case and that person is going to be charged soon,” said one source.

When national police spokesman Solomon Makgale was approached for a comment, he referred all questions to Ramaloko.

Ramaloko said: “The members are not yet formally charged. We are busy with the investigations. Procedurally, departmental steps will kick in once the members are charged.”

When Lamoer was contacted for a comment, he said: “I have no comment.”

Dawjee denied he was involved with the criminal underworld, or that he had a corrupt relationship with Lamoer and the three top cops.

He said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not involved with drugs. I’m prepared to go to court and prove my innocence.

“People were convinced that Oscar was guilty of killing his girlfriend, but this week a court of law did not find him guilty of murder,” he said.

He dismissed the allegations against Lamoer as a smear campaign by people “who want him to be removed as the provincial commissioner”.

“Why would I bribe him? What can he do for me? I’ve known him for 27 years. We are like family,” he said.

The probe against Lamoer and the other top officials began when Western Cape crime intelligence obtained a court order to legally monitor telephone calls between Lamoer and Dawjee.

This was after SAPS crime intelligence had noticed that, on a daily basis, Lamoer spoke to Dawjee, a man suspected of criminal activity. There was also an allegation that Lamoer received money from Dawjee.

During one of their legal interceptions of Lamoer’s phone calls, crime intelligence units picked up Phiyega’s conversations with Lamoer, during which she informed him that there were allegations linking him to the drug lord.

During the conversation, Phiyega made Lamoer aware of similar allegations by Hawks boss Anwa Dramat, and also disclosed that the then acting head of crime intelligence, Chris Ngcobo, disclosed the same information.

Subsequently, crime intelligence opened a case of defeating ends of justice against Phiyega.

The allegations were probed by Ipid, which referred the docket to the NPA.

The Sunday Independent was unable to get comment from both Govenders and Van der Roos.

Sunday Independent

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