Former Police Minister Nathi Nhleko has complained about the treatment he says he has suffered at the hands of the State Capture Commission.
Nhleko says he did not get various notices and affidavits from the Commission timeously or not at all. He says he heard the evidence of former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) officials including Head Robert Mcbride on TV without receiving notice that the evidence implicated him.
Speaking through his lawyer William Mkari, Nhleko says he had to threaten the Commission with litigation.
“When he made follow-ups as to when he will be given the opportunity to give his side of the story given the serious impact of the allegations made by Mr. Mcbride to his career prospects and that he is unable to find a job because of that he was told he should wait and he will be told until Mr. Nhleko threatened legal action against the Commission that he would rather go to court to compel the Commission to treat him fairly.”
Meanwhile, the cross-examination of McBride by Nhleko at the State Capture Commission has been postponed to a date to be determined.
Nhleko was scheduled to question McBride on various allegations he made against him including that Nhleko employed a Zimbabwean convicted fraudster as Chief of Staff in his office during his tenure as minister.
McBride is scheduled to appear at the commission to answer to three matters including that of Nhleko‘s but has asked for more time to prepare saying he can answer to all three on the 13th of August.
McBrides’ lawyer Katherine Harding explains her client’s absence to Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
“He is in principle available to do all cross-examinations on the 13th and the effect of this affidavit would be to seek to be excused from today’s proceedings and the 29th to the 13th. My guess is for another date to be determined for how his appearance relating to Mr. Nhleko and someone else this week then in terms of his commitment he will come as long as there has been enough notice,” adds Harding.
Nhleko’s lawyers have expressed their displeasure at having been alerted to McBrides’ unavailability at the last minute saying they are not available to proceed with the matter on the 13th of August.
The video below is the live stream of today’s sitting:
McBride adds that one of his former subordinates was told to implicate him in wrongdoing in exchange for getting his job back.
He says IPID investigator Innocent Khuba was approached by a Hawks official telling him to write a false statement against him so he can be reinstated.
Khuba was fired in 2015 after signing a document that cleared McBride of wrongdoing.
McBride produced a recording of the Hawks official offering Khuba the deal which was allegedly an instruction from a general.
