'They want lies about Zille'
2007-11-07 07:32
Cape Town - The alleged spy in the Cape Town city council's tapping saga said the police promised him bail if he made false charges against mayor Helen Zille.
These allegations followed on the same day Patricia de Lille, the leader of the ID, said premier Ebrahim Rasool organised access to cassettes of taped conversations in the hope that she and her party would withdraw from Zille's city government in anger.
Rasool said he did not provide confidential information and undertook to request provincial police chief commander Mzwandile Petros to provide access to the same cassettes to other parties, even the DA.
Tuesday's action was initiated by Advocate Johnny Nortje, legal representative of Philip du Toit, the private investigator who made the tapes and who is at present being held.
Zille denies taps
Rasool alleged that Zille also ordered some of her partners to be tapped. Zille denied this.
Nortje revealed a letter on Tuesday he had sent to Petros after consulting with Du Toit.
"Philip du Toit informed us that he was visited prior to the bail application by two members of your crime intelligence unit." These names were known to Die Burger.
"The visit, strangely enough at about 21:00 in Goodwood Prison, included them asking him to make a false statement that Helen Zille directly gave the order that an investigation be started into allegations of bribery, blackmail and slander against (Badih) Chaaban (of the NPP).
"In exchange they would have organised bail for him. Philip du Toit refused on the grounds that Zille did not give him any such orders and that he had more integrity than to make false allegations against innocent people," wrote Nortje.
Allegations against Zille
Nortje also described a second similar effort by two members of the unit against organised crime (names also known to Die Burger) to convince Du Toit to make allegations against Zille, and a third similar visit by an official of the national prosecution authority.
According to Nortje earlier questions about this were ignored by the police. He therefore wanted to know from Petros who had given the order that Du Toit be visited and that false allegations be made against Zille.
Petros's office said on Tuesday he had not yet received Nortje's letter.
In an ensuing drama, De Lille revealed that the multi party caucus of the city met on Thursday after allegations of espionage had come to light.
"We asked the mayor and speaker whether coalition partners had also been tapped, and they denied it. I heard premier Rasool on that evening saying partners were indeed tapped, and called him.
"We met the following day and he said his source was a confidential communication from Petros to the cabinet.
"He didn't want to say much, but undertook to ask Petros if I may listen to some of the cassettes. On Monday I visited Petros to listen to some of them."
De Lille told Die Burger the details about the contents and intent of the cassettes.
"I got the feeling that the ANC wanted to get me angry enough to remove the ID from the coalition. They failed and I confronted them."
Rasool in broad terms supported De Lille's version, but insisted he did nothing untoward.
"All cabinet's information is confidential, but the premier may summarise information and make it known to cabinet at any time. This is a worldwide convention.
"De Lille's call put my word against the mayor's. I had to defend myself by requesting the commissioner - not order him! - to make available the cassettes. I would have done the same for other parties.
"I don't have to divide the mayor's government. She does so herself," said Rasool.