Alleged Mafia kingpin Vito Palazzolo is suing top police investigator Captain Piet Viljoen and a former member of the organised crime unit for R5-million each for defamation.
Advocate Klaus von Lieres und Wilkau, who has acted as a consultant to Palazzolo, revealed this on Monday in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
He was one of a series of witnesses who are being asked questions by Italian prosecutors for use in Palazzolo’s trial in absentia in Italy.
He said the defamation action was instituted by Palazzolo against Viljoen and former policeman Abraham Smith after their appearance on a South African Broadcasting Corporation Special Assignment programme in October 2000.
The matter was ”pending”, he said.
Viljoen is also a witness at the Cape Town hearing. His testimony was interrupted to allow Von Lieres, who is acting in a high court case this week, to give evidence.
On Wednesday, Viljoen was asked by Italian prosecutor Domenico Gozzi whether he stood by what he said during the programme.
”Correct, I stand by what I said there,” Viljoen replied.
He said he had mentioned then that Palazzolo brought R16-million into South Africa when he arrived in the 1980.
He had also said Palazzolo was a ”very protected man” in South Africa, mostly by the pre-1994 government and by people in the police and justice department.
Urged by Palazzolo’s lead advocate Jan Heunis to reveal names of people who were still protecting Palazzolo from prosecution, Viljoen said Heunis was ”being clever”, and that naming names could lead to civil suits.
”So I just want to protect my rights,” he said.
He also said Palazzolo was wanted in the United States for the ”biggest drug case in the world”, in which he had been the ”money man”, and there was a warrant for his arrest in Italy.
”I’ve no doubt Mr Palazzolo is not an honourable man.”
Smith broke down in the witness box on Monday, and is reportedly receiving treatment in a clinic. It has yet to be decided whether he will be recalled. – Sapa