A senior South African Department of Defence (DoD) intelligence officer, arrested in connection with corruption and defeating the ends of justice, has been released on R10 000 bail and will appear in court again on 20 March.
Brigadier General Johannes Mkhabela, the director of special acquisition in Defence Intelligence, was arrested on 13 February after apparently being caught with R50 000 he was seemingly going to bribe an investigating officer with. The officer was reportedly investigating the one-star and the bribe is reported as being “to collapse a case of intimidation”.
The arrest, media reports have it, follow allegations he “smeared a white substance” which could have been arsenic in a colleague’s office and vehicle. Indications are the investigation was set in motion by the as yet unknown person for whom the poison was intended.
“The complainant alleges that someone smeared something in their vehicle to scare them. Once the investigation is finalised, the matter will be referred to a senior prosecutor for a decision,” Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.
Mkhabela’s arrest, as far as can be ascertained, is the first executed by a Presidentially appointed task team in the wake of Cyril Ramaphosa receiving the January interim report of the ongoing Madlanga Commission. A statement names five SA Police Service (SAPS) personnel – two major-generals, two brigadiers and a sergeant – as well as nine Ekurhuleni Metro staffers, including suspended metro police chief, Julius Mkhwanazi – as suspects where further investigation is warranted as per the Commission’s mandate to investigate infiltration of criminal syndicates into South Africa’s law enforcement, intelligence, prosecution and judiciary agencies and entities.
On the Mkhabela case, Johannesburg daily Sowetan has it the charge sheet has it the military staff officer was allegedly prepared to pay R1.5 million to make the case not see its day in court, alternatively to withdraw or destroy the case against the former Presidential Protection Unit medical component head. The newspaper reports the charge sheet further has it Mkhabela met the investigating officer and allegedly promised an initial payment of R50 000, followed by R100 000 in April, with the balance to be paid before September. He was arrested in a police sting operation.
After Mkhabela’s arrest, his personal assistant, Thembi Hlungwane, and his lawyer, Mannik Mulaudzi, were arrested and also charged with corruption and defeating the ends of justice. Mulaudzi and Hlungwane were released on R5 000 bail each.
