The Sunday Independent newspaper this week will request the Inspector General of Intelligence to investigate claims that police officers from the Crime Intelligence unit harassed one if its journalists, it said on Sunday.
The officers allegedly bugged Gcwalisile Khanyile’s phone and tried to coerce another journalist — who was not named — from the Star newspaper into revealing “internal confidential” information.
This came after the newspaper did an expose in October which detailed allegations of nepotism, corruption, fraud and mismanagement at the division.
Police had obtained a court order from the high court in Johannesburg halting further revelations. However, the Sunday Independent was appealing the judgement, it said.
The newspaper’s lawyer said: “Shortly after the high court granted the interdict, Khanyile became aware that she had been placed under surveillance by the SAPS Crime Intelligence. She discovered that agents had been assigned to follow her and that her cellphone had been tapped.”
The Sunday Independent’s editor Makhudu Sefara said the newspaper had information showing that Khanyile “was, and probably still is, being followed”.
“We have information showing that operatives have been instructed to befriend our reporters with a view to infiltrating our — and other –newsrooms across the country,” he said.
Police spokesperson Colonel Tummi Shai said the police would not comment on the matter. — Sapa