Phahlane arrest ‘staged’, claims lawyer
A lawyer for former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane has described the arrest of the former top cop as pure sensationalism.
Phahlane and senior police procurement officer, Rav Pillay, appeared in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday on charges of fraud and corruption.
They were each granted bail of R20 000.
The case relates to a contract worth an estimated R86 million that was to awarded to Instrumentation Traffic Law Enforcement, owned by millionaire Vimpie Manthatha.
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Last year, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) also arrested former Gauteng police commissioner Deliwe de Lange, national divisional commissioner in charge of supply chain management, Lieutenant General Ramahlapi Mokwena, Brigadier James Ramajalum and Gauteng deputy police commissioner Nombhuruza Napo on charges of corruption, fraud, forgery and uttering in connection with the same case.
Phahlane’s lawyer Piet du Plessis says the media knew the details of the arrest before his legal team.
"How did they know about this? This is so palpably staged, you know, even a blind person could see what's happening here. This is a totally staged arrest to make, nothing less than that.”
Du Plessis says the matter had been investigated last year.
"All of a sudden on the 27th of February this year - which was two days ago - a warrant is issued for the arrest of General Phahlane and then he is told to please report for arrest, which he did this morning at court.
"This is total nonsense, if they are serious about their case then summon him to court. Why is it necessary to put up a show that he's arrested and brought before court? In any event, my instructions from General Phahlane is that there’s absolutely no merit in these charges."
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