Police organised crime investigations boss Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri told the Madlanga commission the R70,000 he received from attempted murder accused Vusi “Cat” Matlala was a loan, which he paid back within two months.
Shibiri denied that the money was a form of bribery.
The general, who is accused of being among officers bankrolled by Matlala, took the witness box on Wednesday to answer allegations against him.
A secret witness, who is a detective, previously testified Matlala’s phone records showed Shibiri and Matlala exchanged money.
Senior police officers face allegations of receiving money from Matlala to protect him from prosecution and do favours for him.
Shibiri told the commission, investigating the infiltration of the criminal justice system by corrupt individuals, that his son was involved in a car accident on September 6 2024 and needed money for car repairs.
When the top cop met Matlala at deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya’s house on September 14 2024 he told him about the issue.
At the time, Shibiri said he planned to sell his livestock to cover the repairs but was unable to do so.
He said Matlala proposed to loan him money.
“During November 2024, I sold my cattle at my homestead and paid Mr Matlala R20,000 in cash. At the end of December 2024 I transferred R50,000 to the bank account provided to me by Mr Matlala,” Shibiri said.
He attached the bank records of the payments to Matlala to the commission.
Shibiri denied the money from Matlala was a bribe, adding the repayment proves it. He submitted proof of the transactions to the commission.
He told the commission he met Matlala before 2016 through a mutual friend, but the pair did not meet often.
Matlala in 2024 had a R360m tender with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Shibiri said he was not involved in the tender and could not have influenced it in Matlala’s favour.
The secret witness, who is a detective investigating the assassination of engineer Armand Swart, said that in May 2024 Shibiri told them he had heard bribes were offered for them not to oppose bail. Business person Katiso Molefe and former detective Michael Pule Tau were among those arrested for the murder.
Molefe and Matlala are allegedly linked to a “Big Five” cartel allegedly involved in drug trafficking, extortion, cross-border vehicle hijacking, cross-border vehicle theft and tender fraud.
The detectives in the case testified that their interpretation of Shibiri telling them about bribes and threats on their lives could have been meant as intimidation.
Shibiri said the detectives’ insinuation was false. He said he relayed the information about the threat against their lives to enable them to brief crime intelligence about the matter for a risk assessment to be conducted and to enable them to receive protection during investigations.
“I deny that I conveyed a meeting with the investigators for the purpose of distributing envelopes, suggesting payment, facilitating bribery or encouraging corrupt conduct,” he said.
“I am further constrained to address an adverse reference made during proceedings of the parliamentary ad hoc committee by Lt-Gen [Dumisani] Khumalo, wherein it was suggested that I persuaded the investigating officer not to oppose bail in respect of W/O Michael Pule Tau, an accused in the Armand Swart murder matter.
“That assertion is incorrect and a mischaracterisation of both my conduct and the applicable legal processes.”
Shibiri said crime intelligence boss Khumalo put his life at risk by naming him as the person who tipped crime intelligence off about the Big Five cartel.
He raised concerns that the commission failed to take precautions to protect him in the way it handled the testimony.
Shibiri alleged that police officers were promised promotions in exchange for giving statements against him in the criminal infiltration matter before the commission.
“I implore the commission to investigate whether the inducement incentives were offered to SAPS members in exchange for furnishing information statements adverse to me or others,” he said.
He denied any involvement in the criminal infiltration of the police.
“I have never participated or associated myself with criminal syndicates.”
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