SAPS spokesperson André Traut confirmed that a case has been opened and is under investigation. National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams outside the Cape Town Central Police Station on Monday. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has made good on his word to lay a charge against Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Helen Zille.
On Monday morning, Adams showed up promptly at Cape Town Central Police Station at 8am to lay a charge of defeating the ends of justice against Zille.
The charges come after concerns were raised following comments by Zille claiming prior knowledge of the raids conducted at the offices of two City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee (Mayco) members.
She was responding to a news outlet about the raids conducted on Safety and Security boss and DA’s deputy federal chairperson Alderman JP Smith, and Mayco member for Energy Xanthea Limberg’s offices at the civic centre on Friday.
SAPS spokesperson André Traut confirmed that a case has been opened and is under investigation.
"This office can confirm that a defeating the ends of justice case was registered this morning at Cape Town Central police station pertaining to the partial case number cited in your enquiry. The circumstances are being investigated," Traut said.
"Kindly be advised that the identities of the parties concerned cannot be disclosed by SAPS."
Adams said that Zille "does have a case to answer for in my opinion". He said that he is tired of her questioning their competency.
"If you listen to Helen Zille, people like me don't know what they're doing. We don't have the necessary skills to do certain jobs.
"She has confessed that she has been tipped off into the investigation into the alleged criminality of Alderman JP Smith. That is a contravention of the law. We presume it's a policeman (who) has given her information that could have allowed them to destroy whatever they needed to."
He also drew attention to the perceived double standards between how the DA has handled the matter of Smith versus that of former DA Mayco Malusi Booi - who is embroiled in a R1 billion tender corruption case.
Zille urged Adams to produce evidence that 'I have ever said that people like him do not know what they are doing'.
"I am only talking about him (not people like him) when I say the following. The first person who tipped the world off about an alleged raid on JP's office was Fadiel himself.
"He has been making posts about this since last year. Lots of people apparently knew. The only unanswered question was whether it was a conspiracy theory or not," Zille said.
She said that one of Adams' posts said that the raid would happen before Christmas.
"When it did not, I just dismissed it as a conspiracy theory. JP had also warned me about this risk. So he was the one who gave me the information.
"It is far-fetched fiction to suggest that I had a leak about the imminent search of JP's office and that I could have tipped JP off. Total fiction, and Fadiel knows it," Zille said.
Taking to social media, Zille said: "Radio broadcasts are reporting the absurd claim that I should be charged with "Defeating the Ends of Justice" in relation to the police search of JP Smith's office.
“The chief accusers are Brett Herron and Fadiel Adams. Their argument is that, as I was tipped off last year about a possible search of JP's office, I could have warned him to destroy any incriminating evidence. This is absurd because it was JP Smith who tipped me off.
“I have stated this publicly, repeatedly. Yet they continue to argue that I tipped JP Smith off about something that he had tipped me off about.
"My real question is: Knowing this, as they should, why do the media even entertain this nonsense?
"Finally, the police and criminal justice system have important work to do, and politicians trying to score points against an opponent, should not waste their time."
theolin.tembo@inl.co.za
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