Mdluli arrest 'nothing to do with Krejcir'

2011-03-31 15:19

Johannesburg - The arrest of crime intelligence boss Lieutenant General Richard Mdluli had nothing to do with Czech fraud accused Radovan Krejcir's case, a spokesperson for National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele said on Thursday.

Mdluli handed himself over to authorities after 13:00 on Thursday.

"He came with his lawyers and handed himself over at the Boksburg Magistrate's Court," said Nonkululeko Mbatha.

"He is in police custody in Johannesburg, but we won't give details on where he is being kept."

This comes hours after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The Mail & Guardian reported that the Hawks were probing Mdluli and Gauteng crime intelligence boss Joey Mabasa over allegations that they interfered with the Hawks' investigation into Czech fraud accused Radovan Krejcir.

Intimidation and assault

However, Mbatha said the charges Mdluli faced had nothing to do with the Krejcir case.

"It relates to a 1998/1999 case of intimidation and assault. It has nothing to do with Krejcir," she said.

Newspaper reports on Thursday morning suggested that Mdluli was being investigated for the death of an ex-lover's husband who was shot dead in February 1999.

The slain husband, Oupa Ramogibe, apparently received death threats after marrying Mdluli's ex-lover. He was allegedly told to leave her or he would be killed.

At the time, Mdluli was the station commander at Vosloorus police station, in Boksburg, on the East Rand.

Witness protection

The Beeld newspaper reported that 14 family members close to the murder case were put into a witness protection programme last week.

Both publications reported that Mdluli was supposed to have handed himself over to police on Tuesday, but failed to do so. However, an accomplice apparently did turn himself in.

Another newspaper reported earlier in March that tensions between Cele and Mdluli were "sky high" after two police "spies" raided the public protector's office.

Cele was reported to be livid when he found out about the "unannounced visit" to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's Pretoria office.

Police management suspended the two counter-intelligence officers.

Mdluli was promoted from deputy head of Gauteng police to head of national crime intelligence on July 1 2009 by the then acting police chief Tim Williams.

- SAPA