Staff Reporter.
The Commission will hear State Security Agency (SSA) related evidence from the former Minister of State Security, Dr Siyabonga Cwele.
In 2019, former head of foreign intelligence Rieaz “Mo” Shaik told the commission that Cwele had summoned senior intelligence bosses to a meeting after he learned the Gupta family were going to be investigated.
Responding to the allegations on Tuesday, Cwele said “it was not correct” that he summoned intelligence bosses Shaik, former head of intelligence Gibson Njenje and former SSA director-general Mzuvukile Maqetuka to a meeting in 2011.
“No, that’s not correct chairperson. The correct version is that, if you have read my statement… it was not in 2011 that exactly that they had the [Fikile] Mbalula story. It was in 2010 and as I have put it I called Mr Njenje to my office in Cape Town with his deputy to come and explain what I have heard discussed,” he said.
Cwele told the commission he had called Njenje to ask whether the SSA was conducting a communications interception of the Gupta brothers.
The former minister said he was told that Njenje was on leave at the time, prompting him to confirm with the director-general’s deputy.
Cwele also denied the claims made by Shaik, Njenje and Maqethuka and that he called the meeting in order to put a stop to SSA’s investigation into the Guptas.
He said, instead, that he sought to be furnished with a directive from a judge authorising the interception. However, the former intelligence bosses could not provide such a document.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.