The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) said on Tuesday it was concerned by statements attributed to National Directorate of Public Prosecutions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema in a daily newspaper.
“We are particularly concerned by statements made by Sipho Ngwema. We want to state that the approach is unethical,” NIA spokesperson Lorna Daniels said in a statement on Tuesday night.
In an article on Tuesday entitled ‘Get off my back, Ngcuka tells NIA’, ThisDay reported that Scorpions’ head Bulelani Ngcuka had accused the NIA agents of using dirty tricks to drive a wedge between him and Justice Minister Penuell Maduna.
Ngcuka apparently complained to the NIA director general, Vusi Mavimbela, about the way his agents were conducting themselves, the newspaper reported.
“I know Ngcuka has raised this with the director general. He told him he must talk to his people and get them off his back,” Ngwema was quoted as saying.
Daniels responded: “Statements made in the ThisDay newspaper are inaccurate and misleading.”
She said the NIA stated at the start of the Hefer commission that it would respond directly to the commission on any matter arising out of the hearings but “we are compelled once more to set the record straight”.
Daniels said Ricky Nkondo was a member of the NIA and also a common friend to both former activist Litha Jolobe and former transport minister Mac Maharaj.
Jolobe testified before the commission last week that he had recently called Nkondo to invite him to a wedding. Nkondo replied that there were some people who want to talk to him. Maharaj called him after few minutes asking him about Ngcuka’s past.
“This is a matter which arose at the Hefer commission and will be handled in that forum by the NIA legal representatives,” Daniels said.
“The NIA wishes to once again state that no member of the intelligence community is allowed to disclose any information in the possession of the agency without the authorisation of the director general.
“The NIA believes that all security agencies must act in a professional manner in discharging their respective mandates,” Daniels said. — Sapa
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