Apartheid bugs 'still used'

2008-06-20 12:04

Erika Gibson

Pretoria - The bugging devices of the former dispensation, which were used in foreign embassies in South Africa and had been planted by an espionage front company, are still being used.

Furthermore, millions of rands in state funds allegedly disappear in the dark corridors of Military Intelligence services without being accounted for.

The devices have apparently been used for years to find out more about foreign diplomats' activities in South Africa.

The eavesdropping is apparently managed by secret front companies.

Because of this, there is now a point of dispute over who owns the equipment.

Moreover, at least one covert front company of the organisation - known these days as Defence Intelligence (DI) - was still actively spying on behalf of the military and DI, on a plot in Montana in northern Pretoria.

Sued for R14m

These particulars were part of a complicated application to obtain a court order in the Pretoria High Court, in which the chief of DI, Lieutenant General Moreti Motau, the Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota, a senior member of DI Michael Nchazeni Khumalo, and the active front company KTSD Training Centre, were being sued for the transfer of about R14m.

The order was brought before the court by the liquidators of another front company, Sonel Personnel, of which 14 personnel members were allegedly improperly dismissed.

Sonel, which had been doing covert espionage for DI up to the presidential level since 1988, was liquidated last year. After the liquidation, questioning of Motau and Khumalo, among others, was recorded in camera - behind closed doors.

Three companies

This evidence was released with permission from the Master of the High Court and the chairing Magistrate in order to support the court order.

In 1997 the South African government formally swore that all the DI's front companies, which were involved in various alleged transgressions under the old dispensation, had been dissolved.

It now seems that, as far as is known, at least three companies continued their obscure tasks.

During the questioning Motau said, among other things, that he had the capacity "to write out a cheque for R50m" without requiring additional authorisation.

According to Sonel's inventory, the company had more than R13m's in assets in the form of sophisticated observation and other equipment. The inventory comprised more than 8 000 pieces of equipment.

According to Motau's testimony, the equipment was transferred to KTSD and other companies "for other operations" of DI.

KTSD's operations were run from an old farmhouse in Montana situated behind high walls and a guarded gate. Luxury vehicles often went in and out of this gate.

'I can do what I want'

According to the court application, Motau had so far been unable to give evidence of where the equipment was.

KTSD refused to repay millions of rands, some of which had been made from the sale of Sonel's vehicles, to Sonel's estate without a court order.

Motau admitted that he had given orders about what should be done with Sonel's assets, despite the fact that he knew that former employees had instigated legal claims against Sonel and DI.

He added that he had had a right to do as he pleased with the assets and funds.

The respondents had until Friday to indicate whether they would oppose the application.

- Beeld