New stories are being told about the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit, writes Niyanta Singh.
|||Investigations into the SAPS Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit and its members continued this week as more allegations, some described as absurd, were made by the protagonists in the saga.
Stories doing the rounds were also influenced by the publication of a Noseweek investigation headed “The Wrong Man: Rogue cops conned press with doctored dossier”.
The investigation alleges that one newspaper report on the issue was based on a package of material compiled and supplied to reporters by a group of Durban crime suspects who had a direct personal interest in derailing the Cato Manor unit.
It goes on to name Durban businessman Thosan Panday and his fellow accused in a bribery charge, SAPS Colonel Navin Madhoe, as the source of the story.
The Cato Manor unit was thrust into the spotlight in December after allegations that it was running a hit squad.
It has since been disbanded and several members have been served with notices of intent to suspend them. Even the provincial head of the Hawks, Major-General Johan Booysen, who was ultimately in control of the unit, has been put on terms about a possible suspension.
Among the allegations that did the rounds this week was that Booysen was filmed interrogating suspects and then stood by and watched as they were executed by policemen under his command.
The Tribune was promised a copy of the video two months ago and again this week when it was assured of its existence, but it never materialised.
“I challenge anyone to present such a video. If there is a video like that then they must produce it and not only talk about it. Then we must let the law take its course. My conscience is clear,” Booysen told the Tribune.
Another allegation is that Booysen has millions of US dollars in an offshore account – proceeds from cash-in-transit heists he commissioned.
“I have been accused of being the biggest drug supplier to Phoenix and that I am responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Indians. I also smuggle diamonds, gold and Tanzanite. These are all allegations I am aware of. It is nothing new to me,” said Booysen.
The Tribune recently published an article detailing the transcript of a taped conversation where a conspiracy to oust Booysen was laid bare. In those transcripts, allegations that Booysen is a drug dealer and runs a security company, among others, were made.
It is alleged that the “hit” video was presented to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, acting police commissioner Major-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Hawks head Anwa Dramat and it caused them to act immediately – closing down the unit, before the completion of the probe.
But SAPS national spokesman McIntosh Polela said this was nonsense and there was no execution video.
“This is taking things to a ridiculous level and is really an attempt to drag things through the gutter. There is no such video that was presented to any member of the police, or our top brass.
“I was present when the preliminary report was delivered where evidence was shown to us, but there was never any such video. If there is such a video, I ask for it to be presented to us so we can continue with our investigation,” said Polela.
He said despite initial forecasts that the investigation would be completed by the end of last month, they were still completing statements from many witnesses who had recently come forward.
“It is difficult to put a time frame to when the investigation will be complete because, on a daily basis, people are coming to us making statements. We cannot stop them. If it was not for those statements, our investigation would have been complete,” said Polela.
Likewise, Independent Complaints Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini said the investigation into the unit was still not complete because witnesses were still coming forward. He said he could not speculate as to when it would be complete.
The saga has made headlines since December.
Intertwined in the story are Umhlanga businessman Panday and Madhoe, who worked in the SAPS procurement wing; the provincial commissioner, Lieutenant- General Mmamonnye Ngobeni and Booysen.
Panday and Madhoe are suspects in a World Cup accommodation tender scam valued at R60 million.
Panday then took the matter to the Durban High Court in a civil application, and then last year he and Madhoe were arrested for allegedly trying to bribe Booysen with R1.37m in exchange for a document.
It was also alleged that Panday paid for the birthday party of Ngobeni’s husband at an Umhlanga restaurant as a kickback for shelving investigations against him. Panday and Madhoe are out on bail in that case.
Ngobeni was subsequently cleared of charges owing to insufficient evidence.
Shortly thereafter, images of Booysen and members of the unit were circulated. Some officers were seen celebrating and it was alleged they were partying after killing suspects.
The images, allegedly proof of how the unit operated as a death squad, are also at the centre of the bribery allegation. It is believed the images were copied from police computers.
This week Panday agreed to meet the Tribune to discuss the investigation, after which he requested a written set of questions and undertook to answer in writing.
Instead, his attorney, Tashya Giyapersad, sent us a response, saying: “The contents of your e-mail are unacceptable and it is tantamount to promulgating irresponsible journalism.”
Panday was asked to clarify allegations that he was involved in business relationships with high-profile politicians, their relatives and police officers who were using their position to pull strings for him.
He was also asked whether he was behind the distribution of photographs to the media.
Panday, who grew up in Thornville, near Pietermaritzburg, is a multimillionaire with a love for fast cars.
In one newspaper report Panday boasted that in a good month he makes about R100m. His fleet includes an Aston Martin DB9, a Ferrari California and a Lamborghini, and this week, it was learnt he had bought a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
He was quoted as saying: “It’s normal for me to have breakfast in Cape Town, lunch in Johannesburg and dinner in Durban.”
Under the auspices of GoldCoast Trading, his core business is trading in diamonds, gold and precious metals.
He also owns a smelter and a mine in Congo.
niyanta.singh@inl.co.za - Sunday Tribune