Police organised crime investigations boss Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri told the Madlanga commission that when he borrowed R70,000 from attempted murder accused Vusi “Cat” Matlala he was unaware of a criminal investigation against him and insisted he did not protect Matlala from any police probe.
Shibiri during cross-examination at the commission of inquiry investigating allegations of crime in the justice cluster on Wednesday pushed back against suggestions the money could be interpreted to have been a form of gratification for him to do favours for Matlala.
Evidence leader Thabang Pooe put it to Shibiri that when he took the loan from Matlala on September 18 2024 he did not need a loan because his bank records shows he had about R50,000 in his account.
Shibiri previously told the commission he took the loan from Matlala because he needed it to fix his son’s car after an accident.
The general told the commission that though he had money in his account, he planned to build a wall at his homes in Limpopo and Johannesburg and could not use the funds for repairs because he would be cash-strapped.
Pooe put it to Shibiri that he could have used his own money to fix the car.
“I decide how I use my money,” Shibiri responded.
He said that should he have used his money for the car repairs, which cost about R86,000, he would have been left with nothing.
Pooe took Shibiri through bank statements he provided to show repair costs and said it only amounted to more than R40,000.
Shibiri flagged another payment of R8,000, which Pooe did not consider because he did not highlight the transaction and requested to bring more records to reflect the spending of R86,000.
Matlala paid the R70,000 loan into the bank account of Shibiri’s son, not that of the general.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi said it could be inferred that the money was paid into his son’s account so that the money could not be directly linked to Shibiri.
Shibiri disagreed, saying that when police investigate a corruption case they scan bank records of the whole family and his son could easily be traced.
He said that showed he was not hiding the transaction.
Shibiri previously disclosed to the commission that the money was paid into his son’s account and provided bank records to substantiate it.
He also previously told the commission that he first paid Matlala R20,000 in cash in November 2024 after selling his livestock. Thereafter, on December 30 2024, he paid R50,000 from his own bank account to an account of a company linked to Matlala.
He was questioned on the timing of the bank payment and whether it was a cover-up, because police raided Matlala’s house on December 18.
Shibiri said the payment was not a cover-up for gratification because he had already paid R20,000 a month before the raid and indicated the R50,000 would be paid after receiving a bonus.
Commission chair Mbuyiseli Madlanga asked Shibiri whether he would accept a loan from a criminal or someone accused of committing a crime.
Shibiri responded that he would not take money from an accused.
Pooe took Shibiri through his affidavit in which he said that he first heard news that Matlala was allegedly linked to the Tembisa Hospital tender fraud case in September 17 2024.
Shibiri in his affidavit said he caught wind of the allegation in September 2024 when he sent a screenshot of a post by Musa Khawula, who has gossip threads on social media, alleging Matlala was linked to the Tembisa Hospital fraud, which was flagged by murdered state official Babita Deokaran.
Madlanga put it to him that it is not true that he would not accept money from a person facing allegations because he accepted money from Matlala a day after he was made aware of Khawula’s allegations.
Shibiri said the police had not charged Matlala by September 2024 and he had not been aware of a criminal investigation, adding that the allegation was made in a gossip blog.
Shibiri accepted that Madlanga said “allegations” and that Khawula had made allegations, and yet he took the loan from Matlala.
Shibiri was also asked whether it was problematic for him to accept money from Matlala a day after Matlala complained to him that he was being extorted by a person purporting to be linked to Khawula.
Shibiri said he did not think the transaction would be viewed as helping Matlala in the extortion claim.
Pooe asked Shibiri whether his interactions with Matlala could be viewed as influencing the police.
“When we talk about infiltration we talk about syndicates using you to commit crime or using you to assist in committing crime. I do not see anything here that I have done in assisting Matlala to commit a crime,” Shibiri said.
He accepted that as head of organised crime investigations his relationship was problematic in the public’s eyes but said he was unaware of the allegations for years.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.