‘Plot’ finding leaves Mdluli ‘out in the cold’

GCWALISILE KHANYILE

SUSPENDED head of crime intelligence Richard Mdluli is now “on his own”, after a task team found that there was no basis for the allegations he made against four top police officers, who “plotted to oust him” because he was seen as President Jacob Zuma’s man.

Johan Burger, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Study (ISS) said the task team findings left Mdluli in an even weaker position than he was before.

“Many people believe that Mdluli fabricated these allegations to get some sympathy. All of that is gone now, he has to face all of these allegations of fraud and criminal charges. He is absolutely on his own,” Burger said. He added that Mdluli was “desperate” and wanted to return to the police at all costs, and he had realised that if he was found guilty on any of the charges, his career would be over.

“This is a very negative finding against Mdluli, but a victory for the police and its management. His credibility is so damaged that nobody would believe any allegation he makes,” Burger said.

He added that this was a huge lesson for anyone who was involved in criminal activity – that “for some time you will enjoy the benefits of your criminal activities, but it will catch up with you”.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s spokesman Zweli Mnisi said the investigation concluded that the officials accused by Mdluli of working together against him “had acted professionally, in good faith and with due care and regard for the sensitivity of the matter”.

The task team also concluded that the source that gave “conspiracy theory” information to Mdluli could not corroborate its own information. Mthethwa appointed the task team led by chief state law adviser Enver Daniels to probe Mdluli’s allegations.

The Sunday Independent reported in April that Mdluli had penned a letter to Zuma, Mthethwa and acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleging that former national police commissioner Bheki Cele, head of Hawks Anwa Dramat, operational services head Godfrey Lebeya and Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mzwandile Petros were ganging up against him. Mthethwa said the allegations made by Mdluli were so serious and suggested the meddling of policing functions in politics.

Mdluli based his letter on three affidavits he had allegedly received from different sources, regarding the claimed conspiracy theory.

gcwali.khanyile@inl.co.za