Witness A told the Madlanga Commission that attempts were made to offer bribes to secure bail for suspects including Katiso “KT” Molefe in the killing of whistleblower Armand Swart.

This is a move that the investigators believed may be tied to a broader criminal cartel.

Witness A revealed this before the commission on Monday in Pretoria.

According to the witness, a top-ranking officer in the National Organised Crime Unit, General Richard Shibiri, allegedly told investigators during a meeting that “three envelopes” were available.

This was purportedly intended for the magistrate, prosecutor, and investigating officers.

“I left the meeting feeling like Shibiri wanted to find out what evidence we had and bait us to see if we could be influenced,” he said.

While Witness A did not confirm the contents of the envelopes, the implication was unmistakable.

He said he felt like a test and if the envelopes were not then there would not be the bribe issue.

Witness A said Shibiri allegedly also warned the team that the suspects were connected to “very dangerous people,” including the late Jothan “King Mswazi” Msibi, a notorious figure in the taxi industry.

Safety concerns emerged for investigators after the meeting.

While Witness A emphasised the envelopes did not constitute direct enticement, he said the team “felt compromised” and questioned whether Shibiri was aligned with the accused.

Further doubts were raised over the integrity of forensic evidence.

When the team sought the ballistic report linking the Swart murder weapons to other crimes, they were told it needed to be rewritten.

Earlier on Monday during his testimony, Witness A told the commission about the cartridges that were found in a vehicle that police found during their investigation.

Witness A said the same guns were used in other crimes.

“We expected the analysis to show this. It didn’t. There was no mention of key evidence. I believe there was tampering,” said Witness A.

The commission also heard that WhatsApp messages between Michael Pule Tau, a police detective – allegedly the hitman and Molefe detailed planning of the assassination, suggesting premeditated murder with cartel connections.

According to Witness A, Witness B refused to hand over sensitive details to Shibiri over the phone and insisted the docket would be provided only in person—further illustrating the trust issues with the senior officer.

Witness A concluded that interactions with a contact named Ndlala helped him connect Molefe to international cartel structures. “There’s more to it,” he told the commission, “but I cannot go into further detail.”

Earlier on, IOL reported that Molefe was the mastermind who ordered the hit on Swart.

Swart, an engineer, was fatally shot in Vereeniging on the morning of April 17, 2024, in what has now been confirmed as a mistaken identity hit.

The commission has adjourned until Tuesday morning. Witness will continue to testify.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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