Top organised crime official implicated in bribery allegations at Madlanga Commission

Questionable motives from the Head of Organised Crime in South Africa, Richard Shibiri, have been raised by a witness before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Witness B, the investigating officer in the murder case of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart, testified that she was left feeling uncomfortable after a meeting with Shibiri to be briefed on the case.

The meeting, held in May last year, one month after Swart's killing, was called by Shibiri to brief the investigating team. During the meeting, Shibiri allegedly told the team he was aware that three "envelopes" were "flying around" to ensure the accused arrested for Swart's murder were granted bail.

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Witness B suggested an underlying ulterior motive in Shibiri's comments, noting that he was aware that bribes were on the table for those involved in the investigation.

Shibiri allegedly told the investigators about envelopes intended for those involved in the case, including the prosecuting officer and magistrate, all in relation to the accused in the Swart murder being granted bail.

Witness B described her discomfort and confusion with the conversation: "I didn’t think me and the general would have such a conversation because, according to me it’s wrong. Even if the general maybe knows of that he can’t tell me as a junior about it."

She viewed the general's comments as a form of enticement.

"I read it as if this is some kind of enticement because if you tell me about the monies that are there in relation to the case I am investigating, and amongst the people that are supposed to get the envelope is the investigating officer, what are you trying to say?" the witness asked.

Witness B told the Madlanga Commission that if Shibiri was aware of the alleged envelopes, he should have opened a formal inquiry to probe the matter.