Idac withdraws R191m blue lights case against Phahlane, co-accused - TimesLIVE

The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) has provisionally withdrawn the corruption case against former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and his co-accused over a R191m South African Police Service (SAPS) emergency warning equipment contract.

Idac spokesperson Henry Mamothame said on Monday the decision followed careful consideration by acting Idac director advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara, who will peruse certain aspects of the case before it is re-enrolled.

Mamothame said the matter had already been considered by a review panel, which found that it had been properly authorised and fell within Idac’s mandate.

The accused were facing charges of corruption, fraud, theft and money laundering linked to a 2016 contract to supply emergency warning equipment to SAPS.

The contract was worth just more than R191m, with R65m paid to the service provider, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Ltd.

A further R22m payment was prevented from being made during an advanced stage of the investigation, Mamothame said.

Phahlane was charged alongside former deputy national commissioner for human resources management Lt-Gen Bonang Mgwenya, former Gauteng police commissioner Deliwe de Lange, Gauteng deputy police commissioner Nombhuruza Lettie Napo, retired divisional commissioner Lt-Gen Ramahlapi Johannes Mokwena, retired Maj-Gen Ravichandran Pillay, Col Thomas Dumas Marima, and Sgt Maetapese Joseph Mulaiwa.

The civilian accused are Judy Rose, Samantha Andrews and Vimpie Manthata, the owner of Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement.

Mamothame said the accused had previously approached the court in an attempt to have the matter struck from the roll, but their application was dismissed.