Jackson murder claim: Cops won’t comment

2011-06-10 11:58

Johannesburg - The police did not want to discuss a Mail & Guardian report that one of its own was being investigated for conspiring to kill strip club owner Lolly Jackson.

"We are not even confirming or denying that there is an investigation against Joey Mabasa," said McIntosh Polela, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), on Friday.

Jackson was murdered in Bedfordview, east of Johannesburg, on May 3 last year.

Shortly afterwards police said they were looking for a "George Smith", who had phoned them, told them Jackson was dead, and said he wanted to hand himself in.

Police found Jackson's body, but the man who had called disappeared.

The M&G has previously reported that the official who was phoned was Mabasa, who at the time headed Gauteng crime intelligence, and that Smith, also known as George Louca, had once been a police informer.

Evidence

On Friday, the M&G reported that three separate anonymous sources confirmed there was a probe against Mabasa, and that forensic tests allegedly linked Mabasa's gun to the murder and put him at the crime scene.

Mabasa now works at national crime intelligence.

The reported investigation of Mabasa, by the DPCI, also known as the Hawks, was looking at whether he was involved in the murder of Jackson and whether he was corrupted by Radovan Krejcir, a Czech fugitive now living in South Africa. Krejcir currently faces charges of fraud relating to a medical insurance claim.

The Sunday Times recently reported that Smith/Louca was in Cypress.

"The evidence against Mabasa, the M&G has learned, is based on forensic tests. But circumstantial evidence - not least the 'coincidence' of his having reported his firearm stolen around the time of the murder - has added to the suspicion," the publication said.

Mabasa opened a case at the police station in Rosebank on May 1 last year to say he had been mugged and relieved of his firearm, according to the M&G. But two sources claimed the actual date Mabasa reported the theft was after the murder.

Polela told Sapa Friday's report was just a "minor irritation" in the course of their investigation and because they were not confirming or denying that there was an investigation against Mabasa, it made it difficult for him to respond.

There were, however, ongoing negotiations to bring Louca back to South Africa from Cypress and police were happy with the pace of the investigation.

"These negotiations take time. The wife of Lolly Jackson is probably dismayed at the fact that it is taking so long and we understand her frustration."

Investigation

Beyond that, he said he could not say anything about the investigation.

The M&G also reported that police were investigating corruption allegations against Mabasa.

These related to whether he or his wife Dorcas, from whom he was said to be estranged, received a double cab bakkie from Krejcir.

Dorcas and Krejcir's wife Katarina were reportedly in business together.

The M&G said it understood that the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks had spent several months trying to reach a deal with Louca to give evidence against Krejcir and Mabasa.

- SAPA