/ 23 March 2015

Sibiya: Judge calls acting head of Hawks ‘dishonest’

Shadrack Sibiya
Shadrack Sibiya

Acting Hawks head is dishonest and lacks integrity and honour, High Court in Pretoria Judge Elias Matojane said on Monday.

“The third respondent [Ntlemeza] elected to withhold from the court the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) report and the docket that was in his possession, to enable the court to make a proper assessment of the strength or otherwise of the case against the applicant [Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibiya],” said Matojane.

The judge dismissed an application by Ntlemeza seeking leave to appeal the court’s ruling overturning Sibiya’s suspension.

“I am of the view that the conduct of the third respondent shows that he is biased and dishonest. To show that the third respondent is biased, lacks integrity and honour, he made false statements under oath.” Matojane ruled in February that Sibiya’s suspension was unconstitutional, invalid, and unlawful. 

Ntlemeza filed an appeal three days later.

Ntlemeza suspended Sibiya pending an investigation into his alleged role in the illegal rendition of Zimbabweans to that country’s police in 2010. 

Sibiya argued that Ipid had exonerated him from any involvement in the renditions, and he did not know why he was suspended. – Sapa