|
Sleuth's Cele files 'deleted by hacker' |
| Publication |
Sunday Times |
| Date | 2011-03-13 |
| Reporter |
Mzilikazi wa Afrika Stephan Hofstatter |
| Web Link | www.timeslive.co.za |
An investigator who led the probe into the police's R500-million rent
deal with Roux Shabangu has allegedly had his laptop hacked and files
relating to the case destroyed.
Advocate Stoffel Fourie claims that the hard drive on his laptop was
tampered with late last year.
Fourie led the public protector and Special Investigating Unit team that
investigated national police commissioner General Bheki Cele's role in the
deal to rent office space in Pretoria's CBD.
The latest revelation follows a surprise police raid on the public
protector's office last week in which files and documents were seized.
Public protector Thuli Madonsela's spokesman, Kgalalelo Masibi, confirmed
that Fourie's computer had allegedly been hacked into.
"Files were deleted from Fourie's hard drive. It was understood that his
laptop was infected by a virus," said Masibi.
A computer expert told the Sunday Times it was highly improbable that a
random virus would delete only certain files. "It sounds like he was
targeted," he said.
Fourie is also leading the team investigating a R700-million rental deal in
Durban that also involves Cele and Shabangu.
Two crime intelligence officers, Colonel JB Maluleka and Captain Zandi
Nkutha, who raided the public protector's office last Wednesday, have been
suspended.
The raid came three days after the Sunday Times published a report proving
that Cele authorised funding for the lease.
In a memo seen by the Sunday Times, the police commissioner authorised
funding for the lease - six weeks before the Department of Public Works had
even been approached to find office space.
Last week, the Minister of Safety and Security, Nathi Mthethwa, called the
raid "unacceptable" and ordered an investigation.
But the man who allegedly ordered the raid, Colonel Faan Heine of
counter-intelligence, is still at work.
When confronted this week, Heine refused to say whether he had ordered the
raid.
"I've got no comment on that," he said before slamming down the phone.
The public protector has written to Cele "seeking clarity" on the raid,
which was condemned by all political parties, including the ANC.
With acknowledgements to Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Stephan Hofstatter and Sunday Times.
Selfsame Advocate Stoffel Fourie led the Public
Protector's investigation into the Arms Deal and was one of two chief
author's of the Arms Deal Joint Investigation Report a;long with PWC's
Advocate Lionel van Tonder which effectively whitewashed the Arms Deal
despite the clearest of evidence of wrongdoing and even criminality.
Advocate Stoffel Fourie replaced Advocate Dave Scrooby, a ex South African
Air Force lieutenant-colonel who until he showed his independence was
leading the Public Protector's investigation into the Arms Deal.
Advocate Stoffel Fourie has since done the Public Protector very proud in a
number of investigations exonerating the government.
Advocate Lionel van Tonder was a hired gun from PWC for the Auditor-General
and simply did the latter's bidding with the Sword of Damocles hanging over
PWC's billion rand plus per annum audit fee income from the Office of the
Auditor-General.
Simply put Fourie and van Tonder aided and abetted the Auditor-General and
the Public Protector pull off the biggest stunt ever managed in the history
of jurisprudence in this country, the cover-up of the Arms Deal.
They sat there in parliament before assortments of MPs and committees and
bare-faced assisted their principles in lying directly to Parliament, which
is a criminal offence.
But things are not always what they might seem to be, viz. Advocate Leonard
McCarthy assistance to the chiefs of racketeerers getting off scott-free
from their Arms Deal charges.
Singing golly woggy boodle all the way.