'Werksmans Attorneys report behind unjustified arrest of Ipid officials'
The commission of inquiry into state capture has heard that the charging and arrest of the head of investigations at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Mathews Sesoko as well as his former boss Robert McBride and colleague Innocent Khuba in 2016 was based on a flawed report by Werksmans Attorneys.
Sesoko appeared before the commission on Wednesday.
The three were arrested 2016 on charges of fraud, perjury and defeating the ends of justice following the release of two reports on the rendition of Zimbabwean nationals in 2010.
Khuba was investigating the matter and signed off two reports, one interim report and another final report.
The first report was only signed by Khuba and the final one signed by him, Sesoko and McBride.
The investigation into the rendition saga was triggered by the former Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko.
Sesoko told the commission the interim report by Khuba recommended that former Hawks boss Anwa Dramat and former Gauteng Hawks boss Shadrack Sibiya be charged and prosecuted in the rendition matter. However, following further investigations a final report was concluded which recommended they not be charged.
He said Nhleko requested the report and its recommendations, something which they deemed to have been unusual.
Sesoko told the commission that Dramat was subsequently suspended, despite their final report not recommending any action against him.
They were subsequently charged, suspended and dismissed from the Ipid based on a Werksmans Attorney report which alleged that they had altered the first rendition report.
"There is no allegation that we removed evidence from the docket, the allegation is that we altered a report, now I cannot alter I report I have not seen. But also importantly in the criminal investigation, they did against us, one of the senior advocates in the NPA made a statement that he had not seen the first report docket.”
The charges against the three were eventually dropped and they were reinstated to their positions at Ipid.