Bushiri saga: Brigadier arrested for allegedly receiving R500 000

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrested a 46-year-old police brigadier and her husband on Thursday morning 10 December in relation to the investigation of self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri. The pair are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning. 

Bushiri and his wife Mary skipped the country for Malawi shortly after receiving R200 000 bail each. Their bail conditions clearly stipulated that they were not to leave the country under any circumstances, hence the Department of Correctional Services recently sent a formal extradition request to Malawian authorities. 

The pair, along with three others were accused of fraud, money laundering and theft to the tune of R100 million. 

BUSHIRI SAGA: BRIGADIER ALLEGEDLY RECEIVED R500 000

According to Colonel Katlego Mogale, a 46-year-old Brigadier based at the Organised Crime of the Detective Service Head Office and her 50-year-old husband are appearing in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning following their arrest for corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

“The pair handed themselves to the team of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation tasked with the investigation of criminal activities relating to Prophet Shepherd Bushiri,” said Mogale.    

Their warrants of arrest were authorized yesterday [Wednesday 9 December 2020] in relation to an amount of R500 000 that was allegedly paid to the Brigadier. 

“The investigation started as an Inquiry and it was converted into a case docket in February 2020,” added Mogale. 

When asked if the Brigadier received R500 000 from Bushiri himself, Mogale could not confirm. She could only confirm that the Brigadier received a “gratification” in connection to the investigation into Bushiri. Mogale said further information would be revealed during the pair’s court appearance in Pretoria. 

PROPHET OPENED CORRUPTION CASE AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS 

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), on Monday 16 November 2020, confirmed that Bushiri opened a case against police officers in 2018. 

According to Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola, a case of alleged police corruption and cash extortion was opened by Bushiri’s lawyer on his behalf in Sunnyside, Pretoria. 

It is alleged that the police officers investigating several allegations of rape against Bushiri were trying to extort money from him so that they could make his rape charges disappear. 

As part of the investigation process, Ipid required Bushiri to provide crucial information about the allegations and to acquire witness statements but Bushiri’s “non-availability due to his busy schedule” has, according to Cola, been giving Ipid Investigators a challenge to proceed with the case.

“Mr Bushiri has been provided with feedback on the matter, he is well aware that the Investigator will proceed with his case as soon as he co-operates fully with [the] investigation process,” said Cola.