Booysen tells how former top cop tried to halt police corruption probe
The commission of inquiry into state capture has heard how former KwaZulu-Natal police commissionerMmamonnye Ngobeni instructed the Hawks to stop an investigation into corruption estimated at R60 million.
Ngobeni retired in 2018.
The former head of the Hawks in the province, Johan Booysen, was the second witness to give evidence related to the capture of law enforcement agencies.
Booysen told the commission that 2010, he received information on allegations of corruption between senior police officials and politically connected businessman Toshan Panday.
He instructed two officials to investigate the case but to his surprise, Ngobeni demanded a halt to the probe.
He said Ngobeni called him twice during that period, sounding irritated and upset, telling him that there were already investigations into police officials in the province that would embarrass the force.
"She was adamant that the investigation must stop, she didn't ask anything else about the merits of the investigation."
The commission’s chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, asked Booysen if Ngobeni had powers to instruct him to stop investigations.
He said while she had the powers to give him instructions, this particular one was unlawful.
Investigations continued and it was found that Panday and the police were apparently involved in unlawful transactions worth R60 million during the 2010 World Cup, of which Panday's company Gold Coast Trading was paid R45 million.
Booysen told the commission that Panday inflated prices and that the company experienced financial problems before he struck the deal with the police.
He testified that Ngobeni went as far as calling him into two meetings, where she gave Panday and his attorney an opportunity to question him on the investigation.
They went on to allege that Booysen’s investigators did not have a mandate and were accessing crucial information unlawfully.
Despite her efforts, Booysen says he continued with the investigation, and at some point, former head of the Hawks Anwa Dramat got involved and instructed his investigator to report to him directly.
He said it was clear that Ngobeni was in cahoots with Panday and two other police officials who were suspects in the case. An independent report also revealed that Panday had allegedly paid for a surprise birthday party for Ngobeni's husband.
Booysen said one of the suspects in the case, Colonel Navin Madhoe, facilitated an R1.4 million bribe to have him backdate the report into the investigation and alter everything.
"Chairperson, I played along but we had a plan to do a sting operation and eventually arrested Madhoe.”