A top Scorpions investigator is expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning on charges relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, Talk Radio 702 reported on Tuesday.
Senior Scorpion Ivor Powell was apparently arrested with fugitive gang boss Igshaan Davids in Woodstock, on Tuesday evening.
The journalist-turned-investigator faced charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, defeating the ends of justice and resisting arrest.
The arrest comes after corruption charges against top Gauteng Scorpion Advocate Gerrie Nel were withdrawn.
Powell worked at the Mail & Guardian in the early 1990s, first in the arts department and then as an investigative journalist.
The Star reported that Powell was considered to be one of the most influential investigators in the elite agency, and reported directly to Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy.
Powell worked on the initial stages of the Scorpions’ investigation into police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi and handled key witness Paul O’Sullivan, reported the paper.
According to the Star, Davids was allegedly in possession of a stolen car.
A police statement said when officers approached the men, they had ”sped off”.
”Police gave chase and managed to pull them over in the Kensington area,” said the statement.
Govt studying proposals
Meanwhile, the government will look at ways in which the Scorpions will be absorbed into the police service, spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Tuesday.
He said the African National Congress’s (ANC) decision — that members of the Directorate of Special Operations (known as the Scorpions) who were performing police functions, be absorbed into the South African Police Service by June this year — would be discussed at the Cabinet lekgotla taking place this week.
”Government is going to take that into account and then prepare its plan about how that decision will be implemented,” he said.
The ANC’s National Executive Committee this weekend ”urgently resolved” that the Scorpions be absorbed into the SAPS by June this year.
Opposition parties have dismissed the move, saying the ANC was trying to protect its members from facing corruption charges by disbanding the Scorpions. – Sapa