Madlanga Commission | Scharnick arrested as Adams’ testimony raises questions over missing dockets

An alleged associate of suspended Deputy National Commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, and suspended Member of Parliament (MP), Fadiel Adams, has been arrested by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) outside the Bridget Mabandla Justice College, where the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is being held.

Stuart Scharnick was taken into custody after allegedly threatening a journalist covering Thursday’s proceedings during the commission’s tea break.

Scharnick has previously made headlines over his alleged links to senior police officials and reported involvement in matters at the centre of the commission’s corruption investigations.

Footage recorded at the commission on Thursday shows Scharnick pointing a finger at Sowetan journalist, Herman Moloi, and accusing him of fabricating stories about him on social media.

Scharnick allegedly later confronted Moloi again outside the commission’s auditorium, where the journalist says he felt intimidated.

Commission spokesperson, Jeremy Michaels, says while the public cannot be prevented from attending the proceedings, everyone is expected to conduct themselves appropriately and respect the commission’s rules.

Michaels says the commission will review its security and attendance protocols to prevent similar incidents from occurring, while stressing the important role played by journalists covering the proceedings.

Moloi says Scharnick initially approached him in the morning, adding that he initially believed the confrontation was a joke.

However, during the tea break, Moloi says Scharnick aggressively approached him and threatened to assault him after he had recorded footage of Scharnick interacting with Adams from a distance.

Moloi says that after he approached authorities about the incident, Scharnick allegedly told him not to be afraid because he was not part of the so-called “Big Five Cartel”, an encounter Moloi says left him shaken.

Meanwhile, Adams continued his testimony before the commission, explaining why he opened criminal cases against senior Crime Intelligence officials without first informing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee.

He testified that although he did not inform the portfolio committee, he discussed the matter with Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, Ian Cameron.

Adams told the commission that notifying the committee would not have made any significant difference.

The matter stems from documents allegedly slipped under the door of his parliamentary office in what he described as a brown envelope.

The documents contained serious allegations against senior Crime Intelligence officials, including claims of corruption, fraud and the misuse of Secret Service funds.

Adams subsequently initiated criminal charges following a Section 27 investigation referral.

He says he then travelled to Gauteng and opened a case at Orlando Police Station in Soweto, claiming the docket disappeared on the same day the charges were laid.

The commission heard that a colonel at the Orlando police station, referred to as Witness G, assisted Adams in opening the case.

The colonel is allegedly the handler of detained North West businessman, Brown Mogotsi, and is said to be a close associate of suspended deputy Crime Intelligence boss, Feroz Khan.

Adams says he does not know the colonel and was simply directed to him by the late Major-General, André Lincoln, when he went to the police station to open the case.

“I had been sent the contact of Colonel Elvis by Honourable Lincoln. He said to me when you are close to the police station, call. I get to the police station, I got inside and I called. I cannot remember if he took my statement or not because it was two years ago. Elvis is a colonel. I saw him once and never saw him again. I don’t know him. I received his contacts on the morning that I went to press charges,” Adams said.

Adams further told the commission that the transfer of dockets opened in Cape Town to the national police headquarters in Pretoria raised concerns that the cases were being intercepted.

The commission heard that Adams had emailed suspended Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, requesting his intervention.

In an earlier statement, Adams alleged that General, Pieter Jacobs, had intercepted the dockets.

However, Jacobs told the commission that Adams’ complaint over the alleged interception of six criminal cases opened at police stations in Cape Town and Orlando was in fact being investigated by his office, with the assistance of Colonel Phillips.

Adams says Police Ministry Chief of Staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, informed him that his complaints were being investigated. However, he remained sceptical because no investigator had contacted him to discuss the cases.

“Now I understand exactly what you are saying because you are showing me the papers and signatures, perfect. But please understand my concern. I know for a fact where the dockets are supposed to go from here, to where, to where. Now when the provincial office gets involved without notifying me, that’s concerning. I am not saying anyone is guilty of anything,” Adams explained.

Commissioner, Sesi Baloyi, however, explained that the dockets were expected to reach the national office because Adams had escalated the matter directly to the minister, who then responded to his request for intervention.

The Madlanga Commission adjourned for the day to allow Adams to listen to recordings of his interactions with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).

Adams, who has been testifying before the commission for the past two days, is a central figure in the Section 27 affidavit that was used to investigate and subsequently prosecute seven Crime Intelligence officials.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao