State Security Agency Inspector-General of Intelligence Setlhomamaru Dintwe returned to the Zondo Commission to give more evidence related to his oversight during the peak of state capture years during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure.
STATE Security Agency (SSA) Inspector-General of Intelligence Setlhomamaru Dintwe yesterday told the State Capture Commission of Inquiry that “lots and lots” of money was stolen from the SSA while some of it was used to fund a political campaign by factions in the ANC.
Dintwe has returned to the commission to give evidence related to his oversight during the peak of state capture years during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure.
He told the commission the money left the SSA in suitcases and there was evidence some of that money was used to finance a particular faction of the ANC.
One of the transactions, Dintwe said, was equivalent to €200,000 (about R3.4 million).
He clarified that it was not just one faction of the governing party that benefited from the mass looting of the SSA.
Dintwe told the commission that their findings show the money could have been used to fuel political tensions that could affect national security in an adverse manner.
He said that in other jurisdictions, there were fears this money could be used to fund terrorism.
Answering questions regarding the cadet programme at the SSA, Dintwe said nepotism was rife in the programme.
He told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that children, family members and girlfriends of political leaders and senior managers were recruited and given bursaries without any regard to proper criteria, adding that this flouting of procedures also resulted in former state security Minister Ronnie Kasrils disowning some 40 of the cadets after he went through a list and recognised the nepotism.
“I am informed reliably that the then minister of state security, Ronnie Kasrils, actually disowned those students because he said that when he was going through the list he could identify that minister, that other deputy minister, that other deputy director-general … so he disowned about 40 graduates,” Dintwe said.
The inquiry continues.
– POLITICAL BUREAU
