‘Organised criminal networks’ responsible for widespread misappropriation of funds and for contributing to the state capture phenomenon remain ‘firmly entrenched’ in the State Security Agency, according to an exposé on News24.
In the decade between 2008 and 2018, these groups looted some R1.5 billion.
The report indicated that in 2019, then minister of state security Ayanda Dlodlo rescinded a number of dismissals and suspensions of some officials implicated in impropriety. This included embezzlement and the suborning of the organisation to serving the interests of former President Jacob Zuma.
These revelations emerged from affidavits made to the Zondo Commission.
Among other things, the report pointed to erstwhile directors-general Arthur Fraser and Ambassador Sonto Kudjoe, former special operations director ambassador Thulani Dlomo and former domestic branch director Moruti Noosi. The capture took place in 2012, when the Chief Directorate for Special Operations (CDSO) and Cover Support Unit (CSU) were placed under the counter-intelligence division under Dlomo. Fraser meanwhile had set up a parallel intelligence system called the Principal Agent Network (PAN).
Dlomo with a ‘band of rogue spies’ set up several front companies, which were used to launder money. As Director General, Fraser undertook irregular covert operations while raising the budget in his office.
Project Veza was set up by former Minister of State Security Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba in 2018. Its brief was to deal with the systemic corruption in the agency. Two of the deponents on whom News24 based its reports were in charge of this programme.