Jeremy Vearey goes to court in a bid to get his security detail back

Axed Western Cape detective head Jeremy Vearey argued that his change in employment did not change the prevalence of the threats against him .Picture: Cindy Waxa/African News Agency/ANA

Axed Western Cape detective head Jeremy Vearey argued that his change in employment did not change the prevalence of the threats against him .Picture: Cindy Waxa/African News Agency/ANA

Published Jul 7, 2021

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Cape Town - Axed Western Cape detective head Jeremy Vearey has filed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court to have his security detail reinstated with immediate effect.

Vearey’s protection was withdrawn last week. He is in hospital receiving treatment for Covid-19.

In his application Vearey argued that his life might be in danger should he be discharged from hospital during the course of the week.

He said it could not be excluded that the purpose of withdrawing his protection was to discourage him from testifying in high-profile criminal matters scheduled to take place as a result of his investigations.

He said the plethora of evidence that he will be a key witness in high-profile criminal matters, especially that of Nafiz Modack, Ralph Stanfield and senior police officers implicated in the “Guns to Gangs” matter was not considered by the provincial police commissioner.

Vearey argued that his change in employment did not change the prevalence of the threats against him as he had to testify.

“The threat to my life has a long and chequered history. Approximately five years ago I was officially informed by Crime Intelligence that threats on my life have been identified. These threats emanated from criminal gangs and even police officers and a threat-and-risk assessment confirmed it,” he said.

Whistle-blower and community activist Colin Arendse said that as a number one witness in the “Guns to Gangs” upcoming trial Vearey deserved all the protection he could get.

“It is quite shocking that they had nothing else on him so they would rely on a stupid Facebook post that was misread and misunderstood to get rid of him out of the system so that they could do away with his security detail.

“I would not be surprised if this instruction comes from the underworld as it's going to be exposed by Vearey at this trial,” said Arendse.

Having read Vearey’s submission to the court he believed there were sufficient grounds for the court to rule in his favour, he said.

“If anything happens to him I will personally hold national police commissioner (Khehla) Sitole responsible and all his policemen under him,” Arendse said.

Activist and a friend of Vearey, Hendrietta Abrahams, said police had witness protection programmes and that Vearey should be afforded this right.

“We should demand that his security detail be reinstated immediately as his testimony in the case is critical. With all of this infighting and such suspicion of the bad intentions of these SAPS management offices in both national and provincial offices, Minister Bheki Cele and the president must grow some backbone and intervene immediately,” said Abrahams.

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SAPSCrime and courts