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EFF leader Julius Malema has denied allegations that he orchestrated the removal of former inspector-general of intelligence Setlhomamaru Dintwe back in 2021 when Maj-Gen Feroz Khan faced heat in a disciplinary hearing.
Khan is the crime intelligence operations support boss.
Malema filed an affidavit with the Madlanga commission responding to the allegations. It was placed on record on Tuesday.
Khan faces allegations that he infiltrated the National Treasury, influenced multimillion-rand tenders in favour of his business associates and received payments in return.
He is also accused of knowing about an alleged strategy by Carnilinx executive Mohamed Sayed to eliminate competitors in the illicit tobacco trade.
Khan was shot two days before his much-anticipated testimony before the Madlanga commission last week and is yet to respond to the allegations publicly.
Malema has also been accused of politically protecting Khan during the 2021 disciplinary process. Khan is further accused of providing police documents to the benefit of the EFF leader.
“I deny that I conspired to orchestrate the removal of Dr Dintwe,” Malema’s affidavit states.
At the time, Dintwe was responsible for overseeing the intelligence and counterintelligence activities of SA’s intelligence services and investigating alleged maladministration and abuse of power within the intelligence services.
Malema’s denial is a direct rebuttal to the commission investigator Tshepo Nyatlo’s affidavit, which alleges that, in June 2021, Khan, Malema and Sayed conspired to orchestrate Dintwe’s removal.
According to the affidavit, Khan sent a series of questions to Sayed for EFF MP Mbuyiseli Ndlozi to ask Dintwe in parliament. The questions concerned whether Dintwe had links to alleged drug lord Timmy Marimuthu.
The commission’s evidence does not suggest Khan communicated directly with Malema. Instead, the exchanges were conducted through Sayed.
Sayed is an executive at Carnilinx, which donated money to the EFF when it was formed in 2013.
Malema also addressed his link to Carnilinx in his affidavit.
“I voluntarily stated at the EFF 10th anniversary celebration, which was perhaps the most widely publicised EFF event, that Mr [Adriano] Mazzotti, who is the CEO of Carnilinx, donated funds that helped register the EFF. It is also a matter of public record,” Malema’s affidavit states.
“My wife used to reside at a property that is in the same complex precinct as Mr Mazzotti, under a lease agreement. I place underlining emphasis on ‘under lease agreement’ as correctly recorded in Mr Nyatlo’s affidavit, in contrast to other media reports and claims that I stayed there gratuitously.”
Malema did not respond to the allegation that Sayed forwarded a request to Khan for information about a case opened at the Sandton police station by VBS Bank curator Anoosh Rooplal. The request allegedly came from Malema.
The commission alleges Khan provided Sayed with information about the case and Rooplal’s personal details and his home address for such to be given to Malema.
Malema contended he did not have knowledge of Sayed and Khan’s chats.
“Be that as it may, I do not have knowledge of the exchanges between Mr Sayed and General Khan.”
He denied allegations against him “to the extent that they infer any unlawful conduct on my part”.
Malema also denied that the EFF received bribes from a company called Bertobrite, which held a City of Tshwane tender.
According to the chats, Sayed forwarded details of Bertobrite’s bid for a SAPS fleet management tender to Khan, saying the request came from Malema.
“To the best of my knowledge, I deny any Bertobrite bribery of the EFF,” Malema said.
The Madlanga commission resumes on Wednesday.
Business Day
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