Security clearances under fire

2008-06-30 18:29

Johannesburg - Vusi Pikoli's lawyer, Wim Trengove, spent Monday afternoon grilling National Intelligence Agency director-general Manele Manzini on his claims that some Scorpions operatives acted without security clearance.

He said that a man cited as an example of an operative without clearance, was appointed as a special director by President Thabo Mbeki.

"Are you saying the president was remiss in not having done a security clearance for him?" asked Trengove in a hostile cross-examination session.

Manzini retorted that it did not detract from his claim that this man had lied on a form which asked him whether he had clearance.

Request for help turned down

Trengove said that in terms of section 19b of the National Prosecuting Act operatives only had to be cleared on appointment, and asked Manzini to point out the laws contradicting this.

When Manzini turned to the National Strategic Intelligence Act, Trengove argued that this merely empowered NIA operatives to do clearances.

Trengove also submitted that the DSO had asked the police for help when carrying out its search at the Union Buildings, but had been told that they did not have the capacity.

Manzini had earlier said the DSO should have asked the police or the NIA for help with the computer aspects of the searches, instead of using consultants which had not been given NIA clearance.

Trengove questioned his contention that the NIA could have helped, arguing that it was not their turf to be part of prosecution investigations.

- SAPA