Pretoria: National police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla and her predecessor Penuell Maduna had resisted or not taken seriously the need for a committee to co-ordinate the activities of the Scorpions and the police.

This was said by Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy yesterday in testifying before the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry on his unit's future.

McCarthy said he had tried through several meetings to co-operate with the police and had initiated the establishment of a ministerial co-ordination committee as provided for in the law.

He had encountered resistance or reluctance, however. "I also want to say I raised this Section 31 committee on three occasions with (Mabandla). I also asked (former acting National Prosecuting Authority boss Silas) Ramaite when he was to meet (Selebi) to raise this issue. He intimated to me (later that) the commissioner was not accessible about it." Despite having given reports to Maduna about the work of the Scorpions, the then-minister had not come back to him, although he had promised to do so, McCarthy said.

"On 9 February 2004, I drafted a letter to (Maduna) and asked (former national director of public prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka) to sign it. I thought that maybe this time ... a letter would be a good way of putting our position on record."

Replying to questions from Scorpions counsel Marumo Moerane, McCarthy said that instead of co-operating, the SA Police Service was increasing the tensions between itself and the Scorpions.

"I have been trying other ways of lobbying ... I went to a meeting of the SAPS heads of detectives ... I am not known for humility, but I said I am carrying an olive branch today ... (but) they raised things at the meeting about Scorpions coming to take over dockets. And I gave them my cell number in the meeting (saying) that if it happens again call me directly.

"I also said to them that ... (Selebi) issued a letter from Pretoria (saying) that any request for a docket by the DSO should be referred to his office."

McCarthy said that in August last year, he had met the police and discussed the matter.

"(Head of SAPS legal services) Phillip Jacobs said that in principle they don't have a problem, but they would want to get a mandate from their minister and they would give us a response maybe in a week or so ... we later established that this mandate was not forthcoming."

McCarthy said that despite tensions at managerial level, there was co-operation on the ground between the police and Scorpions members.

"At ground level there is a lot of good work that we don't even know of ... The SAPS's crime scene division has just ignored all the other tensions that might exist elsewhere."

McCarthy also highlighted the strengths of the Scorpions and argued that the unit should remain under the National Prosecuting Authority.

He said that contrary to allegations by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union that the unit spent a lot of money hiring independent consultants, the Scorpions did not outsource more than 5% of its work and this cost about R36.7 million.

He said that of the 500 staff members, 438 had degrees and the salary bill was R136m.

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and the Cape Times.