Mining boss Brett Kebble intends to make submissions detailing “continuing abuses of power” within the Scorpions to Judge Sisi Khampepe’s commission that is expected to determine whether the crime-fighting unit will remain independent from the police.

But the transparency of the probe could be under threat as the commission confirmed on Friday that the hearings could yet be held behind closed doors — particularly in light of links that emerged last month between Khampepe’s husband and anti-Scorpions factions, inclusing Kebble.

This comes as the Scorpions celebrate the conviction of Schabir Shaik for corruption involving Deputy President Jacob Zuma, and with public sentiment running in their favour.

Commission spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said yesterday that “after the cut-off date for submissions of June 17, we will evaluate the content of the submissions and make a decision on whether hearings will be public”.

The commission has already received more than 10 submissions from as-yet unnamed interested parties. JCI CEO Kebble said yesterday he intended placing evidence before the commission outlining exactly where those “abuses of power” were taking place, fingering people he believed still carry a torch for former Scorpions boss Bulelani Ngcuka.

Both Kebble and his father, Roger, were charged by the Scorpions on separate counts. Although Brett Kebble’s case has yet to go to court, his father’s case was thrown out in January after it emerged the evidence was shaky.

He said his submission would detail how “insidious leaks to the media” still took place in attempts to discredit Ngcuka’s enemies, while others were protected from investigation. Kebble said these elements of the Scorpions were already looking to discredit Khampepe’s probe.

Two months ago, the credibility of the commission was called into question after it emerged that Khampepe’s husband, Siza, had business links to the people implicated in the arms deal — which was heavily scrutinised by the Scorpions.

Siza Khampepe is a director of Kgorong Investments, which also includes among its directors Julekha Mahomed — the deputy president’s former legal adviser and a business partner of Chippy and Yunus Shaik.

Mahomed also testified as a defence witness during Shaik’s trial.

In what may be a coincidence, 11 companies of which Siza Khampepe is a director list Kebble’s JCI house as their registered address, including the SPP group, the Exol group and New Mining. But Khampepe said last week: “I have never met Brett Kebble (and) I don’t know what ideas he holds.”

Kebble said: “We don’t know why these companies are registered here, but we have three floors at JCI house and a lot of space is rented out to various empowerment partners.”

Shameela Seedat, an analyst for the Institute for Democracy in SA, said on Friday that Khampepe’s business links remained “a concern”.

“With public sentiment high around the Scorpions issue, it is important that the judiciary is seen to be impartial and unconflicted when it comes to carrying out its duties,” she said. Seedat said that new rules were in the pipeline which could compel judges to disclose their interests and those of their partners.

With acknowledgements to Rob Rose and the Business Day.