Mphego challenges legality of police search in South Africa
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
Former South African crime intelligence chief Mulangi Mphego has asked the Pretoria High Court to declare a search of his home unlawful and return his seized property. He says the court that issued the warrant has no record of the application; the investigation concerns missing police files linked to Sindile Mfazi, TimesLIVE reports.
Former South African crime intelligence chief Major-General Mulangi Mphego is challenging the legality of a search of his home in July before the High Court in Pretoria. He is seeking the return of items seized, including three registered firearms, legal files and his phone, TimesLIVE reports.
His legal team says the Tembisa magistrate’s court, which is said to have issued the warrant, has neither the application record nor the supporting affidavit. The operation, which lasted two days at the Midstream estate in Centurion, was part of an investigation into suspected conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice.
Investigators suspect Mphego and Sergeant Ishmail Phungu of authorising the removal of investigation files belonging to the late Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi without maintaining the chain of custody. Mfazi, who died by poisoning in 2021, was investigating the aftermath of the February 2020 burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. Mphego denies the allegations.
The legal proceedings over the search come after Mphego’s arrest on 19 October for unlawful possession of more than 100 cartridges found during the search. He appeared in a Johannesburg court and was released on bail of 5,000 rand, a development already reported in his release on bail.
