Pretoria - The case of former head of the Free State police crime intelligence service Agnes Makhele was on Monday postponed to give her legal representatives time to view incriminating CCTV footage.
The footage, the prosecution said, allegedly showed Makhele informing a police officer not to comply with Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigations.
She appeared briefly at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court following her arrest on charges of allegedly leading a team accused of protecting the controversial former acting national police commissioner, General Khomotso Phahlane.
She faces charges of defeating the ends of justice and contravening section 33 of the Ipid Act. She is due back in court in March 13.
Ipid said it was confident that Makhele, in aiding Phahlane, ran the counter-investigation unit through crime intelligence.
Makhele was also accused of authorising payments to private investigators to spy on Ipid and of frustrating investigations into the Phahlane case.
Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said the footage exposed Makhele secretly signalling to her subordinate, Colonel Collen Trollope, not to co-operate with an investigator.
“The officer later informed the investigating officer that Makhele had signalled he not talk, and remain silent on this matter. Basically, all those who had a hand in misleading and disrupting investigations into Phahlane will be pursued in accordance with the law,” Dlamini added.
Makhele was appointed to her position as head of the police crime intelligence service by Phahlane, and could soon be joined by other officials believed to have played a role in sabotaging and derailing investigations.
Ipid stated in affidavits that Makhele and provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Baile Motswenyane had established a team in North West to interfere with witnesses.