R54 MILLION FRAUD AND CORRUPTION CASE AGAINST FORMER TOP COP AND CO-ACCUSED TRANSFERRED TO THE HIGH COURT
The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court transferred the case against the former acting police commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane and his co-accused to the Pretoria High Court to appear on 21 October 2024 for pretrial conferencing.
Lieutenant- General Phahlane, Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Mahwayi, Major-General Maanda Obert Nemutandzhela, Major-General Mankosana Agnes Makhele and businessmen Inbanathan Kistiah and Avendra Naidoo are facing charges of fraud, corruption, theft and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) relating to two contracts valued at approximately R54 million.
The one contract relates to the irregular procurement of a software called RIPJAR, meant to be used during the incidents of October 2015, wherein university students embarked on a #FeesMustFall protests. The other alleged irregular contract relates to the procurement of a communication encryption software called Daedalus, which was solely used for encrypting calls and wiping out cellphone records and messages at the time when Phahlane was under investigation by IPID for the “Blue Lights” police tender and other irregular procurement at the time he was acting police commissioner.
All the accused are out on bail and they are expected to be back at the Pretoria High Court in October.
