/ 11 December 2006

Former spy boss charged with fraud

Former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) director general Billy Masetlha was charged with fraud on Monday after handing himself over to police in Pretoria.

He was later granted bail of R10 000 in an appearance in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court, said national police spokesperson Dennis Adriao.

Masetlha handed himself over to detectives from the police’s serious economics unit in Pretoria, after a warrant was issued for his arrest last week, said Adriao.

He received bail on condition that: he hand in his passport; not contact any potential witnesses in the case; keep the investigating officer informed of his whereabouts; and not leave Gauteng or North West.

Masetlha stands accused with software salesperson Muziwendoda Kunene and NIA electronic surveillance manager Funowakhe Madlala of fraud involving R152 000 relating to the NIA hoax e-mail saga.

The charge sheet alleges that they pretended, to President Thabo Mbeki, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils and the NIA, that several ”controversial and damaging” documents were genuine, when they were actually complete fabrications.

The documents were produced by Kunene, whose R152 000 fee to intercept e-mails and other electronic communication for the NIA was authorised and approved by Masetlha.

The preamble to the charge sheet alleges that Madlala and Masetlha failed tell the NIA or their superiors that the documents were fabricated, even though it ”must have been abundantly clear to them” they were not genuine.

The fabricated documents implicated senior African National Congress members in a conspiracy against the party’s deputy president, Jacob Zuma, and secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe. — Sapa