The Madlanga Commission believes there is enough evidence to prove that top police officials plotted to have blogger Musa Khawula arrested.
On Thursday, the commission presented the SAPS’ suspended head of organised crime, Major-General Richard Shibiri, with WhatsApp exchanges between himself and Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, during which they appear to be updating each other on what has been shown to be joint efforts to build a criminal case against Khawula.
Alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had complained to his “friends” in the SAPS that Khawula was damaging his reputation in a social media post and had been assisting a journalist who was blackmailing Matlala.
Eventually, a warrant was issued for Khawula’s arrest for suspected cybercrimes and crimen injuria.
“I want Nkosi to help me. It’s not good enough that you tell me to go to a police station. I want Nkosi to help me.
“And you oblige him. It’s just wrong on the face of it,” said Commissioner Sisi Baloyi, referring to Matlala’s request to Shibiri for Nkosi to help him open a case against the controversial blogger.
Shibiri tried to underplay the implications of doing Matlala’s bidding, albeit with no success.
“If Nkosi was busy, then he couldn’t have helped him. He could have gone to the police station. But anyhow, as I have indicated before, when Nkosi phoned him about it, he indicated that his attorney is dealing with it, and he didn’t open a case,” said Shibiri.
“Forget what he has said. We are talking about your conduct as head of organised crime who is friends with this person, who gives you money, a loan, and then in that same period he asks you to do certain things. And you do.
“And I want to go back to the theme that, well, I can see why Mr Matlala would say, ‘I’ve got my person in there,’ because he makes requests of you and you oblige him. You don’t say to him, ‘No, I have advised you to go to the police station. You go to the police station, and if you don’t go to the police station, that’s it.’
“You don’t do that. You say, ‘Nkosi, help him.’ And Nkosi, as you’ve told us, is not just a friend. He’s your subordinate. So you’ve tasked him to go and assist Matlala when he has time.
“I completely, I think, understand why Mr Matlala would think, ‘I’ve got my person inside. I ask him for things. I tell him what I want, and he does it for me.’ I can see where he comes from,” said an annoyed Baloyi.
Nkosi has already testified that the suspended deputy national commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, and other senior SAPS officials were also putting pressure on him to track and arrest Khawula.