Former Scorpions head Bulelani Ngcuka has become a private investigator.

He also has been appointed executive chairperson of black economic empowerment company Amabubesi Investments, which holds a stake in Stallion Security, a privately held BEE security company.

"Mr Ngcuka will play an important role in Stallion Security, beefing up their investigations arm and passing on his considerable experience in the field of combating crime," Amabubesi chief executive Sango Ntsaluba said on Sunday.

"He will be involved in a hands-on capacity."

Ntsaluba, a chartered accountant who serves on the board of a number of state bodies, including the National Electricity Regulator and the South African Special Risks Insurance Association, said Ngcuka was delighted at the prospect of retaining an interest in the crime-fighting arena.

"The knowledge and expertise he accumulated as head of the Scorpions and as national director of public prosecutions will be invaluable in expanding the operations of Stallion."

Ngcuka serves on the board of Transnet and is also a director at Smith Tabata Ramsay Webber Buchanan Boyes Attorneys.

Stallion Security chief executive Clive Zulberg said one area in which Ngcuka's expertise would be invaluable was in the ongoing fight against white-collar crime.

"Corporate crime is costing the South African economy upward of R40-billion a year. There is hard evidence to show that white-collar crime is siphoning off more money from the economy than was brought in by foreign tourism, which was R32-billion in 2003.

"Apart from bleeding the economy dry, it is frightening off foreign investors, who prefer to invest in countries with lower corporate crime rates."

Zulberg said one possible solution was for the private sector to become more involved in fighting white-collar crime.

"Based on our experience, I believe we need more and better trained commercial crime specialists in the private security industry, and it is in this arena that Mr Ngcuka's skills will be brought to bear."

He said that despite the very best efforts of the South African Police Service, the police simply did not have the staff to keep up.

"Increasingly the burden is going to fall on the private sector to assist them with their investigations."

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Star.