Crime Intelligence whistle-blower admits to falsified claims worth R100K
28 September 2019
The state capture commission of inquiry has heard that claims from Crime Intelligence's (CI) secret service account to the tune of R100 000 were falsified.
This was the evidence of former Crime Intelligence official Dhanajaya Naidoo, a whistle-blower who has been testifying at the inquiry about the alleged looting of the secret service account.
Naidoo said that he revealed the alleged falsified claims during an interview with the Hawks on October 19, 2011 when the unit was investigating corrupt activities within Crime Intelligence.
"I made a decision to reveal to the Hawks all of the allegations relating to the corruption and looting of the [account], most of which [implicated] senior members of CI including myself.
"I told them everything I knew, what I could remember, as there were so many incidents," Naidoo testified on Friday.
Naidoo - who now goes by another name and is in witness protection - testified at a secret location in camera (behind closed doors).
He said he told two agents, who cannot be named, that the confession included false claims he had made to the tune of R100 000.
"During this confession that I made, another member of Crime Intelligence was present there... initially they were quite shocked about my admission," he said.
"What was shocking them? That you disclosed it to the Hawks or the actual amount?" inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, asked.
"Not so much the amount but the admission I made to the Hawks about the amount," he responded.
When then chief financial officer of CI, General Solly Lazarus, heard about Naidoo's confession to the Hawks – he and two other agents, whose names have been withheld, visited him the next day, October 20, 2011.
"Between 18:00 and 19:00, my wife and I decided to go for a walk because I was stressed out and mentally tired. My eldest son was at home asleep while my youngest was with us on the bicycle. We went around the block. There is a park opposite my house. As I was getting closer to my house, I saw two of my colleagues (the agents who cannot be named).
"I saw one of them jumping over the driveway gate of my house. Their car was in front of the gate on the outside. [The agent] was jumping from within the property to outside," he testified.
The agents jumped into the vehicle and approached Naidoo and his family, the commission heard.
"The car stopped and Lazarus told me I'm a hard man to get hold off. He asked me to jump into the car. I jumped into the car," he said
Lazarus then began to probe Naidoo on his engagements with the Hawks which he denied.
"Lazarus told me he had spoken to a certain pastor and that this whole thing will be over soon and he must remain strong. What I understood was that I must be strong through this investigation and that it will be over soon," he added.
The vehicle stopped at Naidoo's home. However, Lazarus instructed the agent who was driving to continue moving. They ended up at Lazarus' private residence where it was decided that evidence relating to air travel paid for by the account should be destroyed, the commission heard.
"An agent was instructed to speak to Westville Air Travel and destroy evidence of the air tickets to Crime Intelligence. It came from another agent who cannot be named. Everyone was in agreement with the suggestion. I later learnt that this was not done in time as the investigators managed to obtain some records prior to this," Naidoo said.
"I think we can stop there and on Monday you can take it from there," Zondo said.
On October 25, 2011 - Naidoo and his family were placed under witness protection.
Naidoo was a key part of seasoned Hawks investigator Colonel Kobus Roloefse's evidence to the commission, which delved into illegal activities within the CI and the alleged looting of the secret service account.
The inquiry continues on Monday.
