Mandela murder plot – more details expected to surface

Absent witness causes delay in ex-Mandela cop's case

Cape Town - The major trial involving the policeman previously hand-picked by former president Nelson Mandela to head an elite investigative unit is set to resume in April.

Proceedings were expected to go ahead in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday, but instead the matter was postponed. A witness, Zenzile Khoisan, a journalist for roughly three decades, was not present.

Last week, Khoisan testified about a recording of a conversation between two police officers, during which one allegedly threatened to "bring down" the African National Congress government.

Khoisan had been testifying in support of Major-General Andre Lincoln. Lincoln is claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.

In 1996, Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police, and businessmen.

Police investigations

Criminal allegations against Lincoln and others in the unit then surfaced, leading to Lincoln's arrest.

He believes he was "maliciously prosecuted" because of his direct access to Mandela and investigations into senior policemen.

Last week, the court heard that Khoisan was given a voice recording relating to the Lincoln matter about 16 years ago.

It was apparently an exchange between former presidential unit investigator Abraham Smith and the robbery and murder unit head Leonard Knipe.

Lincoln accused the two of working against him to tarnish his name because of his investigations into senior police officers.

A section of an article Khoisan wrote, which was based on the voice recording, was read out in court.

Knipe was quoted as having said that he would "bring down" the ANC government if a certain covert operation into Palazzolo and others was not stopped.

Khoisan testified that Smith had made the recording of Knipe. He said Smith had told him he had done so "to protect himself".

Khoisan declined to say who gave him the recording.

He would have been cross-examined about the tape on Tuesday, but did not arrive at court.

The case will resume on April 20.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/absent-witness-causes-delay-in-ex-mandela-cops-case-20170328
 
Court arguments on whether ex-Mandela cop was framed

Cape Town - Arguments in the mammoth trial focusing on the policeman previously hand-picked by former president Nelson Mandela to head an elite investigative unit heated up in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

While Advocate Johann Nortje, who is representing Major-General Andre Lincoln, insisted police officers previously acted maliciously to have his client prosecuted, Advocate Craig Webster, for the police minister, argued this was not the case.

Webster also argued that Lincoln had failed to prove his claims.

He has asked for the court to grant an absolution order in the matter, with costs.

However, Nortje has asked that this be dismissed, also with costs.

Lincoln is claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the position of minister of police) for what he has termed as being maliciously prosecuted.

Convictions

In 1996, Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative task unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian Mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and businessman.

But criminal allegations against Lincoln and others in the unit then surfaced, leading to Lincoln's arrest.

Lincoln was arrested in 1998.

In November 2002, he was convicted on 17 of 47 charges against him.

In 2009, he successfully appealed the convictions.

He believes he was "maliciously prosecuted" because of his direct access to Mandela and investigations into senior policemen.

On Monday Webster argued that "motive" was not the same as "malice".

He said Lincoln's arrest two decades ago on a drunk driving charge had set in motion a series of events.

Webster said Lincoln had not called any people who had made affidavits, relating to this charge, to the witness stand.

He said Lincoln had not produced any evidence to show he had been maliciously prosecuted.

Nortje countered that it was not the prosecution itself that set certain events in motion, but it was the actions of certain police officers.

"Our argument is all that Mr Lincoln has to do is prove there is a prima facie case," he said.

Nortje said police officers, especially Abraham Smith, who at one stage served on the presidential investigative unit with Lincoln, had made "false allegations" in statements.

"Smith deliberately omitted material facts."

A decision on the matter is expected on Tuesday.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/court-arguments-on-whether-ex-mandela-cop-was-framed-20170424
 
Court rejects absolution bid in ex-Mandela cop case

Cape Town - An application for absolution has been refused in the mammoth trial focusing on the policeman former president Nelson Mandela hand-picked to head an elite investigative unit.

Western Cape High Court Judge Judith Cloete on Tuesday denied the police minister's application.

Major-General Andre Lincoln is claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.

In 1996, Mandela tasked Lincoln with leading a presidential investigative task unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police, and businessmen.

Lincoln was arrested in 1998, after criminal allegations were levelled against him and his colleagues in the unit.

In November 2002, he was convicted on 17 of 47 charges against him. In 2009, he successfully appealed the convictions.

He believes he was "maliciously prosecuted" because of his direct access to Mandela and investigations into senior policemen.

The case resumes later on Tuesday.


News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/court-rejects-absolution-bid-in-ex-mandela-cop-case-20170425
 
Attempted murder probes detailed in ex-Mandela cop’s trial

Cape Town - A former high-ranking policeman has testified about how a top cop chosen by former president Nelson Mandela to head an elite investigative unit was probed for attempted murder.

And about how the cop himself was wounded in a shooting in a possible attempt on his life.

Leonard Knipe, who was in the police service between 1965 and 2002 when he retired under the rank of major-general, testified in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

He was testifying in the civil trial involving Major-General Andre Lincoln.

Lincoln is claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for what he has termed being maliciously prosecuted.

'Cleaning' crime scenes

Previously, Lincoln testified that he believed Knipe was part of a group of police officers that "cleaned" crime scenes, including after the killing of seven anti-apartheid activists in Gugulethu in 1986, and the bombing of Community House in Salt River in 1987.

Lincoln believes Knipe, who was tasked with probing the presidential investigative unit, had been used to tarnish his image because his work included probing high-ranking officers.

Earlier on Tuesday, an application for absolution brought on by the legal team of the police minister, who is opposing Lincoln's claim, was rejected in the court.

Afterward Knipe was then called by the team to testify.

He confirmed he had been tasked with probing Lincoln and others in the presidential investigative task unit.

The then-national police commissioner George Fivaz had instructed him to do so.

Fivaz, according to advocate Craig Webster who is representing the police minister, may testify in the matter at a later stage.

Knipe said he knew the unit he was tasked with probing was elite.

"The mandate [to head up this unit], which had been given to Brigadier Lincoln, had been given by no lesser person than the president of this country," Knipe testified.

Attempted murders

Possible charges he was investigating against Lincoln included attempted murder, relating to the shooting of an individual named as Mr Oelofse, a member of the public.

Oelofse had alleged Lincoln had fired shots at him at a public gathering.

Knipe said the director of public prosecutions had declined to prosecute in the matter.

The court heard there was also an apparent attempt on Lincoln's life and he was shot on June 8, 1997.

It was put to Knipe that his colleague Piet Rossouw was investigated for this.

Knipe said Rossouw was aware of the incident.

He testified about Lincoln being arrested in 1998 after the investigation into him ran for about five or six months.

"A warrant for his arrest had been obtained from the magistrate in Cape Town on the recommendation of the prosecutor."

Knipe said he never booked Lincoln into the holding cells at the Cape Town police station, but instead he, Lincoln and Rossouw played a game in a recreation room.

It was after hours and a magistrate was called in to deal with the matter.

Shortly after Lincoln's arrest, Knipe was transferred to Pretoria as he was promoted.

Cordial relationship

Knipe described his relationship with Lincoln as "professional" and said he had no animosity toward him.

In 1996, Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative task unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and businessman.

But criminal allegations against Lincoln and others in the unit then surfaced, leading to Lincoln's arrest.

Following Lincoln's 1998 arrest, in November 2002 he was convicted on 17 of 47 charges against him.

In 2009, he successfully appealed the convictions.

He believes he was "maliciously prosecuted" because of his direct access to Mandela and investigations into senior policemen.

The case resumes on Wednesday.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...es-detailed-in-ex-mandela-cops-trial-20170425
 
EXCLUSIVE: The 'truth' behind an apartheid-era printing press and counterfeit money

Cape Town – A senior police officer has revealed how apartheid-era officials bombed a building in Johannesburg to allegedly cover up the theft of a 25-metre printing press, which they reassembled in police headquarters, and used to churn out counterfeit money.

Some R200 notes issued around the time of the 1995 Rugby World Cup were apparently created in this fraudulent manner.

It is understood a part of the printing press may still be in Angola.

Police officer Major-General Jeremy Vearey, on Wednesday spoke to News24 about the press.

"I last was told by our sources in the security police, who were working for the [ANC’s] department of intelligence and security, [that] a part of that press was in Angola."

He explained that nearly a decade after the press was stolen, a plate from it was found to have been used to create more counterfeit money.

It was not immediately clear how much counterfeit money was churned out from the press and for how long.

Vearey spoke to News24 about his time in the ANC intelligence unit as a trial involving his colleague, Major-General Andre Lincoln, is playing out in the Western Cape High Court.

Former president Nelson Mandela appointed Lincoln in 1996 to head an elite investigative unit. It was run separately from the police and focused on probing Cape Town based mafioso Vito Palazzolo.

Lincoln is claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) in a civil trial. He alleges fellow senior police officers realised he had gathered intelligence on their plans, including one to murder Mandela, so they framed him.

Prior to working as police officers, both Vearey and Lincoln had been in the ANC’s now-defunct department of intelligence and security.

Vearey said that during this time, they had gathered information about certain police officers.

He explained that in the early 1990s, before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up, several security police officers feared being tried.

Fear and anxiety

"We used that sense of fear and anxiety to get some of them to work for us. We came [into the police] with a network of informants."

On May 7, 1987, Cosatu House in Johannesburg, which housed the printing press, was bombed.

"This was to mislead journalists," Vearey said.

According to TRC documents, former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock was involved in the bombing.

Former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok and then-chief of the security branch, Johannes van der Merwe, had provided evidence indicating that "prohibited meetings were held at Cosatu House".

Deon Greyling, a security branch officer "mentioned as a target the newly-acquired printing press that had arrived the previous week", the documents read.

Secret theft

Vearey told News24 the printing press was stolen and that the bombing was carried out to conceal this. The press was apparently dismantled and trucks were used to transport it away.

Vearey said it was moved to the police headquarters in Silverton, Pretoria.

He said ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, stricter checks for counterfeit money were put in place. Scanners were used to detect it, particularly dollars, at hotels.

"In a Newlands hotel we came across R200 notes. We identified the counterfeiter as having worked for the security police in the 1980s."

The notes had apparently been printed on the stolen press. A large number of counterfeit US dollar bills were allegedly produced on the press.

In 2010 it was reported that the South African Reserve Bank recalled R200 notes issued before 2005 because of a counterfeiting problem.

But this may not have been linked to the printing press.

US link

Vearey said the lead investigator in the case against New York crime family head John Gotti came to South Africa to investigate the production of counterfeit dollars.

Lincoln, during his civil trial, previously testified that during the presidential investigative unit's initial investigations it was uncovered that Simon Nothnagel, attached to the police's commercial crime unit, was allegedly involved in a counterfeit US dollar operation.

These dollars, according to Lincoln's testimony, were printed at police headquarters in Pretoria.

This investigation led them to uncover the alleged plot to kill Mandela and recover, in police offices, a "handcrafted rifle" which would have been used in the attempt.

"Necessary steps were taken to prevent the assassination of the president," Lincoln testified.

Nothing ever came of the investigation.

Counterfeit dollar probes

The Western Cape High Court on Tuesday rejected the police minister’s application of absolution in the Lincoln case. The court said in its ruling, which dealt mostly with Lincoln’s evidence so far, that more was uncovered aside from Nothnagel's involvement in fraudulent transactions involving counterfeit US dollars.

"In collaboration with the American Secret Service, [the unit] also uncovered the so-called Operation Donna in which counterfeit US dollars were being printed in the basement of the SAPS head office in Pretoria, which – together with matric certificates, university degrees and drivers licences – were being printed for various generals within SAPS," the court said.

This civil trial is set to continue next Tuesday.

It was postponed on Wednesday as former high-ranking policeman, Leonard Knipe, who had been scheduled to continue testifying, was hospitalised.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...printing-press-and-counterfeit-money-20170426
 
'I never tampered with apartheid crime scenes' - ex-cop tells court

Cape Town - A former high-ranking policeman has denied involvement in allegedly government-ordered crimes committed in the 1980s and says he instead went out of his way to sensitively handle the scenes.

Leonard Knipe was testifying in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday in the civil trial focusing on Major-General Andre Lincoln.

He previously testified that Knipe was part of a group of police officers that "cleaned" crime scenes, including after the killing of seven anti-apartheid activists in Gugulethu in 1986, and the bombing of Community House in Salt River in 1987.

But on Tuesday Knipe denied this.

"I was the policeman who arrived on the scene - one of the first. I took charge of the scene," he testified, referring to the Gugulethu incident.

"I arranged that forensics arrived on the scene, as horrific as it was."

Shocked

Knipe said that together with another sergeant, he had noted what each of the seven killed had on them.

One was lying with his stomach on the ground and it was feared there was a hand grenade beneath him.

The area was cleared.

"A rope was tied to the belt of the deceased and he was pulled over to see what was there," Knipe said.

He denied "sweeping" the scene as Lincoln had alleged.

"There was criticism [relating to] arrangements I had made to wash blood off the streets afterward… But this was standard procedure," Knipe said.

He said he knew nothing about the Community House incident and was shocked that Lincoln had alleged he did.

In 1996, former president Nelson Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative task unit to investigate Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo.

Lincoln was tasked with, among other matters, investigating Palazzolo's links to government officials, police and businessmen.

But he was instead arrested on an array of charges linked to Palazzolo.

Lincoln is therefore claiming R15m in damages from the minister of police. The case continues.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...heid-crime-scenes-ex-cop-tells-court-20170502
 
The mafioso and the kitchen makeover - details emerge in court

Cape Town - Allegations about the relationship between mafioso Vito Palazzolo and a high-ranking policeman tasked with investigating him surfaced in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

Ex-policeman Leonard Knipe testified about this in the civil trial focusing on Major-General Andre Lincoln.

In 1996, former president Nelson Mandela had appointed Lincoln to head up a special presidential investigative task unit, which would operate separately from the police and report to Mandela, former deputy president Thabo Mbeki and then minister of safety and security, Sydney Mufamadi.

Lincoln was tasked with, among other matters, investigating Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and businessman.

Lincoln's advocate Johann Nortje previously told the court that Lincoln had also been appointed to head a covert intelligence operation dubbed "Project Intrigue".

But on Tuesday Knipe testified that he believed Intrigue "was being done to protect Vito Palazzolo".

"I found no endeavour was being made to [extradite] this international fugitive."

Knipe said he believed Lincoln was behind this.

He said he also believed there was previously a "very good case" involving Lincoln and Palazzolo.

"It pertained to the allegation that Palazzolo had modernised the kitchen being used by [Lincoln]," said Knipe.

He believed Palazzolo had paid for the kitchen revamp.

Lincoln was not prosecuted for this.

He was previously arrested when criminal allegations against him and others in the presidential investigative unit then surfaced.

Lincoln is now claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.

The case continues on Wednesday.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...hen-makeover-details-emerge-in-court-20170502
 
Mandela, Mbeki and 'farce' mafioso probe discussed in court

Cape Town – A former high-ranking policeman believes a cop appointed by Nelson Mandela to head up a special investigative unit instead protected mafioso Vito Palazzolo.

Leonard Knipe, a former senior policeman with the murder and robbery unit, testified this in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

"I’m saying there was an endeavour to protect Vito Palazzolo," he said.

Knipe also labelled a probe into Palazzolo by police Major-General Andre Lincoln "a farce".

And it emerged he had previously called it "a real disaster".

Knipe was testifying in the civil trial brought on by Lincoln.

In 1996, then-president Mandela had appointed Lincoln to head up a special presidential investigative task unit, which would operate separately from the police and report to Mandela, former deputy president Thabo Mbeki and then-minister of safety and security Sydney Mufamadi.

Lincoln was tasked with, among other matters, investigating Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and businessmen.

He was previously arrested when criminal allegations against him and others in the presidential investigative unit then surfaced.

'Dormant' investigations

Lincoln is now claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.

He previously testified that he believed Knipe was part of a group of police officers that "cleaned" crime scenes, including after the killing of seven anti-apartheid activists in Gugulethu in 1986, and the bombing of Community House in Salt River in 1987.

Knipe denied this.

On Wednesday, Knipe was cross-examined.

Lincoln’s advocate Johann Nortje put it to him that when the presidential investigative unit was in its initial stages, it had taken over "dormant" investigations.

This included an alleged assassination attempt targeting Mandela to have been carried out at his 1994 inauguration.

Knipe did not recall Lincoln testifying about this as he may not have been present in court at the time.

Nortje said some police officers may have been upset about the investigative unit's probes into police officials.

He said Lincoln had complained about interferences into the unit's probes to Mbeki and former national police commissioner George Fivaz.

The case continues.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...rce-mafioso-probe-discussed-in-court-20170503
 
‘ANC planned to sell drugs to fund 1999 election campaign’ - claim surfaces in court

Cape Town - Claims that nearly two decades ago the African National Congress (ANC) was in such financial difficulty that it planned to sell drugs to fund its 1999 election campaign were revealed in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

This allegation was contained in a statement made by a former member of an elite investigative unit set up by then-president Nelson Mandela.

The member said another ex-member of the unit, Abraham Smith, had made the claims.

"He asked me if I knew why [an informant] was being pushed to infiltrate the drug scene so fast.

"I did not answer him, but he informed me that the reason was the fact that the African National Congress was in financial difficulty and that they required money urgently for the 1996 elections," the statement said.

Drug claims

The member who made the statement said she understood this to mean that the informant was going to sell drugs "to get finances for the ANC".

Her statement, made two decades ago, was read out in court on Wednesday in a civil trial brought on by Major-General Andre Lincoln.

In 1996, Mandela had appointed Lincoln to head up a special presidential investigative task unit, which would operate separately from the police and report to Mandela, former deputy president Thabo Mbeki and then minister of safety and security Sydney Mufamadi.

Lincoln was tasked with, among other matters, investigating mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and businessmen.

He was previously arrested when criminal allegations against him and others in the presidential investigative unit then surfaced.

Lincoln is now claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.

In court on Wednesday, Advocate Johann Nortje, who is representing Lincoln, read out the ex-investigative unit member's statement.

He read it to Leonard Knipe, a former high-ranking policeman with the murder and robbery unit, who he was cross-examining.

Mafioso's 'protection'

The statement, which Norte read out, said that Smith had believed the presidential investigative task unit had been set up "to protect Vito Palazzolo because he finances the party and has many friends in their ranks".

It said the investigative unit member had told Smith not to "play with his future" by making unfounded allegations as it could derail his career.

"He then said that he made provision by making copies of each document in the possession of the presidential investigative task unit's office and forwarded these documents to his contacts in Italy," the statement said.

This was so that if anything happened to Smith, the documents he made copies of would be provided to the international media by "the Italians".

Nortje asked Knipe about the claims that the ANC was desperate for money for its 1999 election campaign so planned to sell drugs.

Knipe replied: "There’s no evidence to that."

Nortje said the allegations were very serious and Knipe said that would be the case if the allegations proved to be true.

However, Nortje then pointed out that if the allegations were indeed true, these would no longer be allegations, but fact.

"These are serious allegations about drug smuggling to fund the election campaign. Did you open a docket?" Nortje asked Knipe.

Broken the law

Knipe said he did not, but neither had others, who had known about the claims, including Lincoln.

Asked about the claim that the presidential investigative unit had been set up to protect Palazzolo, Knipe said he believed Lincoln and Palazzolo had been friends.

"I believe [Lincoln] had ulterior motives," Knipe said.

Nortje said if Smith had indeed leaked documents from the investigative unit to other countries, he would have broken the law.

Knipe admitted it would have "been wrong".

Previously in the trial, Lincoln had testified about relationships Palazzolo apparently had with officials.

"It was alleged he had on his payroll the head of organised crime, the [former arts and culture] minister Pallo Jordan and [then organised crime head and assistant commissioner] Neels Venter," he had said.

On Wednesday Knipe testified that he had previously called Lincoln's probes "a real disaster" because nothing had come of his investigations.

Nortje put it to him that it was because Lincoln was arrested and could not carry on with investigations and finalise his mandate as a result.

"I don't agree… There was no evidence against any of those people," Knipe said.

"[There were] enough competent people to take it over."

The trial is expected to continue on Thursday when another witness is set to be called.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ion-campaign-claim-surfaces-in-court-20170503
 
Convenient time for such a massive petrol bomb to be thrown on the fire of racism and distraction. Very convenient indeed.
 
Nothing about Mandela plot, but Andre Lincoln has mostly won his case for monetary compensation: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ex-mandela-cop-may-recover-costs-of-being-framed-20181017

Two judges ruled that Lincoln’s appeal should be upheld, while one disagreed.

However, because the two judges found in Lincoln’s favour, he now stands to receive the earnings he should have received had the prosecution against him never gone ahead.
Click to expand...

Lincoln’s advocate, Johnny Nortje, who has been involved in the matter since at least 2002, confirmed Lincoln may recover what he could have earned had his career proceeded without prosecution.

The success of Lincoln’s appeal, therefore, means his massive legal battle has probably concluded.
Click to expand...
 
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