Top cops fear Mdluli's return

2012-04-03 10:37

News24

Johannesburg - A sense of fear is gripping the crime intelligence office because of Richard Mdluli’s return, a report said on Tuesday.

Officers told the TimesLive on condition of anonymity that they feared Mdluli would target those who investigated him for fraud and murder charges.

Mdluli was suspended last year after he was charged in connection with the 1999 kidnapping and murder of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend.

He was also charged with defrauding the police and a Pretoria car dealership of more than R90 000, and for causing it to lose a further R1.28m. The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has provisionally dropped the charges.

His reinstatement comes a month after the National Prosecuting Authority served suspension papers on top anti-corruption prosecutor advocate Glynnis Breytenbach for her alleged "abuse of power" but it is believed she was being punished for refusing to drop the fraud charges against Mdluli.

A Hawks official told the TimesLive that senior officers had been assigned to investigate both the fraud and the murder cases and that the withdrawal of charges and the lifting of the suspension have left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Another Hawks official said it had fought for the case to remain on the court roll, but the withdrawal of both the murder and fraud charges was beyond its control. Both officials said their investigations were not politically motivated.