Cape Town - Former Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer has pleaded guilty to one of the corruption charges he faces in the Western Cape High Court.
Lamoer, along with tow truck company owner Salim Dawjee, brigadiers Darius van der Ross, Sharon Govender and her husband Colin Govender, face 109 charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering involving R1.6m.
Dawjee allegedly paid them for favours and all of them initially pleaded not guilty.
But, in an about turn on Thursday, Lamoer, who served in the police service for over 35 years, made a series of admissions in court papers. He said he befriended accused number one Salim Dawjee more than 25 years ago when he was stationed at Manenberg police station.
"During this period, we supported each other in good times and very difficult times".
Between December 2011 and September 2013, he made loans from Dawjee with the agreement that they would be paid back "on request or after my retirement from SAPS".
He admits that he "wrongfully and unlawfully agreed to accept and/or accepted from accused 1 to 3 the gratifications (in the form of loans) ... for my benefit and/or for the benefit of any other person". (Accused 2 is Towbars Cape CC and accused 3 is Towbars King CC, companies owned by Dawjee).
He further states that no favours were done for accused 1 to 3 up until 17 November 2013.
"I accordingly admit that I wrongfully, unlawfully and intentionally gave a letter of good standing to accused no 1 for the benefit of accused 1 to 3 .. I admit that my intention to commit the crime was dolus eventualis as when I gave the aforesaid letter of good standing I foresaw as a possibility that such letter would play a role in what is prescribed in the preamble".
Accused 6, former Brigadier Kolindren Govender, also changed his plea of not guilty to guilty on one count of corruption. He admitted in court papers that between November 2011 and October 2013 he received gratifications to the amount of R24 601,44 from Dawjee, who is his cousin, and his two companies in exchange for special treatment.
The money was used for the payment of pool maintenance, vehicle hire, petrol expenses and two flight tickets.
The case resumes on Monday, with Dawjee expected to plead.