South Africa P.I.G.: NIA

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOWftXFB-DiboWPq5XkcTj2A4_0h4Ye2njw0np1NoVOxVSgrX4XdoIuD1-lEldDzEwZmz33LZoJzdLzp1I-ixq9OZb1BPa_Zb4UrBmz606YFgOYTn78RuooEugHJS_DXE8nA9T6W4ZhU/s1600-h/moe.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378450781549339602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOWftXFB-DiboWPq5XkcTj2A4_0h4Ye2njw0np1NoVOxVSgrX4XdoIuD1-lEldDzEwZmz33LZoJzdLzp1I-ixq9OZb1BPa_Zb4UrBmz606YFgOYTn78RuooEugHJS_DXE8nA9T6W4ZhU/s400/moe.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" /></a>Should Moe Shaik get the nod as the country's top spook, his appointment will be part of a pattern of handpicked allies from KwaZulu-Natal who manage President Jacob Zuma's most sensitive security jobs. These securocrats are largely Zulu-speaking and have close ties to the president. Moe Shaik is a personal friend of Zuma and a former comrade in the ANC's intelligence wing. Seen as clever, shrewd and manipulative, Moe is described as someone who gets in an opponent's face - good qualities for a spy. His critics describe him as arrogant. Soon he could be running the country's state security apparatus. Moe, real name Riaz, refused to speak to the Sunday Tribune about his rumoured appointment. "I really don't know where it comes from; no one has talked to me about it. I will therefore reserve my comment," he said. But those in the know say he expects to get the job. Moe is not generally known for reticence and keeping a low profile. Part of a well-known "struggle" family, he shares the media spotlight with brothers Younis, Shamin (Chippy) and the infamous Schabir. The brothers rallied around Schabir, a former financial adviser to Zuma, who was found guilty of soliciting a bribe on Zuma's behalf and went to jail. He was paroled earlier this year on medical grounds after serving a fraction of his sentence. Moe acted as the family's spokesman, strongly defending his brother's conduct. In the early 2000s Moe served as democratic South Africa's ambassador to Algeria. While ambassador to the north African country, he is believed to have struck deals with that country about the prospect of buying arms from South Africa. But he really came under the media spotlight in 2003 when he and former transport minister Mac Maharaj openly accused the then director of public prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka of being an apartheid spy. At the time Ngcuka was overseeing fraud and corruption investigations into Schabir Shaik and Zuma. Both Moe and Maharaj were prime drivers of Operation Vula, a clandestine ANC operation which sought to deliver classified information as well as smuggle weapons into the country in the run-up to the country's first democratic elections in 1994. His recruitment into intelligence work started in 1980 when Moe and Younis both attended the University of Durban-Westville, where they were reportedly influenced politically by the likes of Pravin Gordan of the Natal Indian Congress. Gordan is now minister of finance. Moe qualified as a optometrist. He first ingratiated himself with ANC covert operations in 1981 when he sneaked into Swaziland to make contact with the banned party's underground movement. It proved to be a turning point for Moe and the Shaik family. He quickly recruited Younis and they both set up a new ANC intelligence network. The recruitment expanded as the Shaiks enlisted more people. In 1985 Moe and Younis were detained by the Security Police and in later years Moe tearfully told of how he had been tortured. Following the dismal failure of the initial project, Moe embarked on one of the most famous and clandestine ANC projects in 1988. It was code-named "Vula", and this time it was Chippy's turn to take the big stage. The brother infiltrated various apartheid government defence projects and passed the critical information to the ANC. Chippy's wife, Zerena, apparently worked as a personnel clerk. When the ANC was unbanned, Moe landed various security roles within the ruling party. Favour His brother Schabir steered the economic interests of the Shaiks and was soon rubbing shoulders with cabinet ministers and foreign corporate executives, keen to do business with the ANC. Out of favour during the presidency of Thabo Mbeki, Moe was often asked by the media to interpret the strategies of the Zuma camp in the run-up to the ANC's 52nd national conference in Polokwane, where Mbeki was ousted by Zuma as the party's leader. On several occasions he has angered party and alliance leaders by making comments about issues ahead of the ANC's own attempts to stage-manage events. This year, ahead of the general election, he predicted charges against Zuma would be withdrawn, earning a rebuke from the ANC Youth League and from ANC stalwart Lindiwe Sisulu, who was liaising with prosecutors to get Zuma off the hook. In hindsight, it is thought he may have had a role in gaining access to tape recordings made by the NIA, that showed Ngcuka, now a private citizen, was still playing a role in the prosecution of Zuma. This evidence led to the fraud and corruption charges against Zuma being dropped and smoothed his path to becoming president. During the Polokwane battle, he surprised many by predicting Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni's demise in the Zuma administration and the survival of then finance minister Trevor Manuel, owing to the latter's willingness to go along with the new policy direction of the ANC and its alliance partners. Moe's possible appointment to the top NIA job has drawn a negative reaction from the Democratic Alliance, which asks if he can distinguish between being a senior civil servant acting on behalf of the country and being an ANC functionary serving the interests of the Zuma faction. The DA's Theo Coetzee said: "Moe Shaik is deeply involved in faction fights within the ruling party, and we must therefore assume that his appointment will further politicise the NIA." Zuma, a former ANC spymaster, would know that in appointing Moe he would have an ally. This could be useful in the political battles that lie ahead.

'Moe, the spy'

Should Moe Shaik get the nod as the country's top spook, his appointment will be part of a pattern of handpicked allies from KwaZulu-Nat...

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC41Fmko__WJ0xzNascTM-7PPNwWbVxemytaKxsrQHGGh7cTKJ1e5Jb8Z9FJ_Yj7HLAIoMC83Zm0LMMr9tV8gBqEaGCEBuBOlX-wKKr8rzRX31MUS-_8GEOYQgNzWPYTXgLN47wk_z3cU/s1600-h/jackieselebi.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349184677184609858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC41Fmko__WJ0xzNascTM-7PPNwWbVxemytaKxsrQHGGh7cTKJ1e5Jb8Z9FJ_Yj7HLAIoMC83Zm0LMMr9tV8gBqEaGCEBuBOlX-wKKr8rzRX31MUS-_8GEOYQgNzWPYTXgLN47wk_z3cU/s400/jackieselebi.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 248px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>A news report has detailed the rot at the National Intelligence Agency where spies have illegally tapped phone conversations, surveilled ordinary citizens and controversially shared classified state information with people outside of the NIA. The paper reports the SAPS Operation Destroy Lucifer was used to intercept former Scorpions boss Leornard McCarthy’s calls and the evidence was later handed over to President Jacob Zuma’s lawyers and resulted in his corruption case being compromised. M&G editor Nic Dawes says he thinks Selebi intends to use similar recordings to prove he is a victim of a conspiracy ochestrated by former big wigs at the National Prosecuting Authority. A covert police operation and a related National Intelligence Agency project not only let Jacob Zuma off the hook, but also appear to have cut a destructive swathe through efforts to combat organised crime. A Mail & Guardian investigation of “Operation Destroy Lucifer” suggests that state intelligence capacity was used: * to spy on the National Prosecuting Authority; * to find out what evidence the Scorpions had on national police commissioner Jackie Selebi; * to try to “turn” key Selebi witness Glenn Agliotti; * to entrap Scorpions investigator Ivor Powell; and * to try to interfere in the battles between the ANC and the DA in the Western Cape. In addition, the operation seems to have had the effect of compromising Scorpions and NIA projects to penetrate Chinese crime syndicates linked to both Agliotti and Western Cape gang bosses. “Destroy Lucifer” is the South African Police Service crime intelligence operation that was used to justify the surveillance of former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy. Intercepts from it were leaked to Zuma’s lawyer, leading the NPA to abandon the Zuma prosecution. Details of what amounted to a war against the Scorpions have emerged from court cases around the country, and the M&G’s own inquiries. The Jiba case The M&G revealed in February that police had monitored McCarthy’s cellphone conversations. This emerged from the disciplinary hearing against a Scorpions prosecutor, Nomgcobo Jiba, suspended in November 2007 for helping police secure an arrest warrant for Gerrie Nel, the Scorpions head in Gauteng. A police task force arrested Nel on January 8 last year, at the height of the battle over the Scorpions’ attempt to charge Selebi, in an apparent bid to disrupt the Selebi investigation. In support of Jiba, Gauteng deputy provincial police commissioner Richard Mdluli -- a regional crime intelligence boss -- filed an affidavit in which he revealed that the police had bugged McCarthy. Mdluli alleged the interception of McCarthy’s conversations flowed “from a completely different investigation that was conducted against certain persons involved in drug dealing”, including, he claimed, McCarthy. The Zuma and Selebi cases More evidence about the monitoring of McCarthy emerged from revelations of his alleged consultations with former prosecutions chief Bulelani Ngcuka about the Zuma case. It was clear from limited transcripts released by the NPA that before and after the ANC’s December 2007 conference McCarthy was continuously monitored -- including in conversation with senior NPA colleagues, ministers and even former president Thabo Mbeki. After the Zuma case was dropped, police leaks to the media also disclosed the existence of taped conversations between McCarthy and Ngcuka -- and former deputy justice minister Johnny de Lange -- concerning the Selebi case. It was suggested that Selebi might use the tapes to block his own prosecution. City Press quoted an intelligence source as saying there were “mounds and mounds of tapes”, dealing with matters ranging from the Browse Mole investigation -- in which Ivor Powell featured prominently -- to “conversations on drug operations in the Western Cape”. It is understood that police have provided Selebi’s lawyers with 12 CDs of recordings. The same material has not been handed to the NPA, however, because of questions raised about the legality of the disclosures. While Selebi’s relationship with Agliotti is the focus of the Selebi case, the underlying context is Agliotti’s alleged involvement with organised crime, in particular with Chinese syndicates and their smuggling of drugs and cigarettes. One count against Selebi relates to a massive drug bust involving a container with mandrax hidden among boxes of tiles. Agliotti arranged transport for the container -- on behalf of a certain Mrs “Mommy” Chen -- and Selebi is accused of failing to act against him. The Mphego case: “Destroy Lucifer” unmasked The existence of an official police operation targeting the NPA -- and its bizarre title -- was only confirmed in May during the court appearance of acting SAPS crime intelligence boss Mulangi Mphego. Mphego’s advocate, Salie Joubert, told the Randburg magistrate’s court: “Mr Mphego is engaged in investigations against members of the [NPA] regarding abuse of office -- espionage, corruption, leaking of government information to newspapers, money laundering, blackmailing … So these charges are intended to suffocate this criminal intelligence investigation.” Joubert told the court that the investigation was codenamed “Destroy Lucifer” and that Gerrie Nel, Andrew Leask -- the prosecutor and lead investigator in the Selebi case -- were suspects, together with five other current and former NPA members. Mphego is charged with defeating the ends of justice, flowing from events in January 2008 when he and NIA director general Manala Manzini secretly obtained an affidavit from Glenn Agliotti, in which Agliotti recanted his previous evidence against Selebi. This happened when the Scorpions were poised to arrest the commissioner and Selebi used Agliotti’s affidavit as a major plank in efforts to have charges against him dropped. Nel, who is prosecuting Mphego, said it was strange to hear of a secret police operation in open court. He also revealed that NIA operations chief Arthur Fraser was also present at the secret meeting with Agliotti. Fraser’s presence suggests the attempt to “turn” Agliotti was an official operation, not a frolic by individuals -- though it is unclear if it formed part of “Destroy Lucifer”. The Ivor Powell case The police have declined to answer questions about “Destroy Lucifer” -- or name the other suspects. However, M&G investigations indicate Mphego himself authorised the bugging of McCarthy in terms of the “Destroy Lucifer” operation -- and that another “suspect” monitored was Cape Town-based Scorpions investigator Ivor Powell. A senior intelligence source told the M&G that McCarthy had been monitored at least since June 2006. Authorisation was obtained on the basis of investigating whether McCarthy, Powell and another senior NPA official, known to the M&G, were leaking information about police operations against Cape gangsters, particularly Igshaan Davids, a leader of the Americans gang. The timing of the decision to monitor McCarthy is significant. Concerns about “leaks” in the Western Cape seem to have emerged at the time the M&G revealed, in May 2006, that the Scorpions were investigating Agliotti and his relationship with Selebi and slain mining magnate Brett Kebble. Another Destroy Lucifer target appears to have been Robyn Plitt, the Scorpions investigator leading the Kebble probe at the time. A special police team arrested Powell on January 22 last year -- days after charges against Nel were withdrawn following his dramatic arrest. The reasons given were that Powell was driving over the alcohol limit and that he was picked up because police wanted to apprehend Davids, who was in Powell’s car. However, M&G information indicates that Powell was set up by a registered crime intelligence informer, Franklin Gray, who attended an earlier meeting between Powell and Davids. It is understood that Powell was attempting to recruit Davids as a source and that the gang leader had information about networks linking Western Cape and Gauteng drug and abalone syndicates, which could have had a bearing on the Selebi inquiry. The Philip du Toit case -- and the mysterious Mr Lau Central to understanding the operation of the syndicates is the role of the local Chinese mafia, who dominate access to ephedrine, used in the manufacture of the drug Tik. Currently under way in the Atlantis regional court is a remarkable case against NIA source Philip du Toit. Du Toit penetrated the some of the same organised crime networks to which Igshaan Davids had access -- including getting close to Stanley Lau, wanted by the Chinese authorities since 2003 for his alleged involvement in shipping nearly four tonnes of mandrax to South Africa. The SAPS -- including an officer who the M&G was told was the Western Cape point man for “Destroy Lucifer” -- played a key role in arresting and unmasking Du Toit as an NIA agent. Du Toit, who faces charges relating to illegal abalone, was recruited as an NIA agent precisely because of his access to Chinese syndicates. Skilled in electronic surveillance, he was formally registered by the NIA on January 31 2007, even though he had already been arrested twice in connection with abalone smuggling. On September 2007 the police, led by crime intelligence, raided his home and arrested him again. This time there were suggestions that police were really looking for surveillance records implicating Cape Town mayor Helen Zille in illegal spying on controversial councillor Badih Chaaban, and other tapes rumoured to exist that would embarrass then-premier Ebrahim Rasool and provincial commissioner Mzwandile Petros. At his bail hearing, Du Toit was outed as a NIA agent and on September 26 he was deregistered and cut loose by NIA, which had earlier negotiated with the Scorpions to take over Du Toit as their agent. Attempts by two Scorpions members to salvage Du Toit’s position led to them being temporarily arrested by the police. What is clear is that he was lost as a unique intelligence asset operating at the heart of the Western Cape underworld. What is also clear, according to one former Scorpion, is that as soon as he took office as commissioner in 2000, “Selebi was determined to take out the Scorpions”. It seems “Destroy Lucifer” -- also launched in 2000 -- was designed to achieve that.

SAPS 'Operation Destroy Lucifer'

A news report has detailed the rot at the National Intelligence Agency where spies have illegally tapped phone conversations, surveilled ord...

South Africa P.I.G.

'Moe, the spy'

SAPS 'Operation Destroy Lucifer'

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