Referred to as: Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation · DPCI members
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In the witness's initial report, the names of DPCI members were listed but the ORS members involved in the seizure were not identified as the witness did not know them at the time.
“in your statement, you list the DPCI members. You then say they went with ORS members, but you do not list the ORS members. So it becomes interesting who of the ORS members took part in the seizure”
In the report to General Mosikili, MAJ-GENSENONA claimed the seal breaking happened in the presence of DPCI and ORS members, but this is factually incorrect according to the statements provided, including by Colonel Jacob and Sergeant Govender.
“the claim you made in your report to General Mosikili that at the operation when the seal was broken, that happened in the presence of DPCI members and ORS members. And I say that is factually incorrect”
DPCI members contravened Regulation 5(3)(t) by conducting themselves in an improper, disgraceful manner, including failure to conduct due diligence at the crime scene and lack of follow-up on alibis.
“Members contravened Regulation 5 (3) (t) that says conduct himself or herself in an improper, disgraceful, and unacceptable manner. The fact that 700 exhibits were collected from the crime scene and 715 were received by FSL, indeed had no bearing on IPID recommendations. The fact that one brick was recovered later confirmed that DPCI members involved failed to do due diligence at the crime scene. ... Regulation 5 (3) (t), conducts himself or herself in an improper, disgraceful, and unacceptable manner... The fact that there was a lack of follow-up on alibis indicates that DPCI members involved did not want to investigate the origin and/or they protected the owner of the drugs by arresting the complainants.”
ORS members were called to assist but did not participate in the counting of exhibits, only observing while the bags were offloaded and counting was done by DPCI members.
“They assisted us in offloading the bags. When we started counting, they were still there. But they were not counting. They were observing while we offloaded the bags.”
Colonel Jacob clarified he used the word 'deduced' incorrectly and that the warehouse staff resealed the container in their presence to maintain custody as they had the seal keys, not the border police.
“I deduced that one of the staff at the warehouse resealed the container with seal number ... The DPCI members on the scene did not have any seals with us ... It is for this reason that I - I do know if deduced is not the right word - that one of the staff at the warehouse resealed the container.”
Paragraph 19 reports 26 canvas bags seized by DPCI members contained 20 1kg bricks of cocaine, plus one canvas bag containing 21 bricks, totaling 541 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of about R243 450 million.
“The following exhibits that were seized by DPCI members were 26 canvas bags which contained 20 x 1kg bricks of Cocaine and 1 canvas bag contained 21 x 1kg of bricks Cocaine. In total, 541 kilograms of Cocaine were seized The estimated street value of the exhibits were about R243450 million”
Warrant Officer Magane agreed the scene was not properly managed and that he and Chief Mashaba initially stuffed it up before it came under control of DPCI members.
“the scene was not properly managed... Initially it was myself and Chief Mashaba... because now at this time, the scene was already under the control of DPC members...”