Cape Town - A police officer shocked a court claiming alleged gang boss Ralph Stanfield and Western Cape’s Deputy Police Commissioner Major General Jeremy Vearey have a “corrupt relationship”.
Warrant Officer Riedwaan Titus, who testified against Stanfield on Wednesday, also accused Vearey of “lying under oath” and “protecting” the suspected 28s leader.
Stanfield, 35, is currently on trial in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on charges of intimidation and assault.
On March 25, Stanfield allegedly assaulted and intimidated police officers at his mother’s Beacon Valley home.
In an affidavit, his attorney Pete Mihalik previously told the court that Stanfield said Titus accused him of being protected by Vearey.
He also said Titus was removed as a detective “and given lesser duties because of his wild allegations”.
On Wednesday, Stanfield appeared relaxed in the dock, as he took sips of water and occasionally grinned while his defence attorney grilled Titus.
Titus first made the shocking allegations in 2007 while investigating a murder.
Stanfield was not a suspect in that case.
Titus said Vearey later removed him from the detective branch and that the murder charge was subsequently dropped.
“I was [investigating] a serious murder case and I testified during the bail application,” he said.
Titus agreed with Mihalik, it was during this time when he made the allegations about Stanfield and Vearey.
The police officer continued: “There was a meeting between Vearey, Stanfield and [Stanfield’s former attorney Noorudien Hassan] in the office.
“Two days later he [Vearey] came into my office without my permission and all my dockets were taken away. I was also taken off the investigation,” claimed Titus.
The cop agreed when asked if he had said Vearey and Stanfield had a corrupt relationship.
“After I was taken off the case, the charges were dropped and that case was never finalised,” he said.
“When Vearey [was called to testify], he testified for the defence, he didn’t testify about the merits of the case, he came to assassinate my character.
“He lied under oath and the accused got bail.”
When asked if he thought Vearey lied “to protect gangsters”, Titus answered “dis reg (that’s right)”.
Mihalik pointed out that Titus was the complainant in this case, had taken other witnesses’ statements, wrote his own statement and commissioned it.
“You went out of your way to make serious criminal allegations against my client,” Mihalik told Titus.
“Now you want to hide behind your badge and act like the victim. You caused dishonour to your name and the police.”
The case was postponed to February 7.
Calls to Vearey went unanswered on Wednesday as the Daily Voice tried to contact him for comment.
Daily Voice