Former spy boss Billy Masetlha on Tuesday described how he went though a period of humiliation and victimisation while trying to get access to the premises of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in order to get the information needed by the inspector general of intelligence (IGI).
Masetlha told the Hatfield Community Court during cross-examination that he was thrown out of his house with his children and wife and at times stranded in the rain at night, in the middle of trying to provide the IGI with the information it required from him.
This extra information needed by the IGI was a report that Masetlha had given to President Thabo Mbeki.
Masetlha is charged with contravening the Intelligence Services Oversight Act by withholding evidence from the IGI, Zolile Ngcakani.
As the information was for Mbeki’s eyes only, Masetlha required permission to release its contents to the IGI.
The content of the report given to Mbeki was in Masetlha’s office, which he was barred from entering after his suspension.
He explained that he was not given total access to the NIA premises to get the required documents in order to reproduce the report, which was given to Mbeki, for the IGI.
He was also denied access to people who could help him re-compile the report.
After this hurdle, the IGI asked for an oral interview with Masetlha, which he agreed to.
However, Masetlha took his lawyers to the meeting with the IGI, but was told that it was unreasonable to have his lawyers present. Thus the interview never took place.
Masetlha explained that he took his lawyers to the meeting to avoid abuses that had happened in the first interview with the IGI, which occurred in an ”unlawful and flawed” manner.
At the first meeting with the IGI, the legal adviser for Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, Corenza Millard, was present and passing on questions to be asked to Masetlha. According to the Intelligence Oversight Act, the IGI should operate independently of the minister or anyone else.
The former spy boss reiterated that the IGI was furnished with information it needed.
He said he was always willing, and still was, to provide the information needed by the IGI.
Details on Project Fairwood, a botched operation on legal surveillance on ANC businessman Saki Macozoma, were heard in camera.
The trial continues. — Sapa