There was no evidence found linking African National Congress heavyweight and businessman Saki Macozoma to any foreign intelligence agency, according to the inspector general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Zolile Ngcakani.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Ngcakani was testifying in the Hatfield Community Court on Tuesday where former spy boss Billy Masetlha was appearing.
He faces a charge of withholding information from Ngcakani.
Ngcakani told the court that a project meant to check whether Macozoma had links to foreign intelligence agencies was, in fact, carried out. In December last year Masetlha pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The case relates to hoax e-mails implicating senior ANC members in a conspiracy against Jacob Zuma, the ANC deputy president, and Kgalema Motlanthe, the party’s secretary general.
President Thabo Mbeki fired Masetlha from his position in March last year after details of the hoax e-mail saga became public.
Software salesperson Muziwendoda Kunene, who was contracted by the NIA to intercept e-mails and electronic communication, handed several documents he claimed had been intercepted, to the NIA’s manager for electronic surveillance, Funokwakhe Madladla.
It was later found that the documents were fabricated and did not originate from the person alleged to have written them. The two were subsequently charged with fraud. – Sapa