A complaint that a police officer falsified businessman Stuart Scharnick’s sworn statement to turn his denial of criminal involvement into an admission before court has landed on the desk of Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) executive director Dr Hlengani Bila.
Scharnick, an ally of disgraced former head of police detectives, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, alleges that Sergeant Thembekile Matwa removed “not” from his statement during a court battle over his release on bail.
He says his original statement read: “I am NOT part of a criminal syndicate.” Matwa quoted him in a bail affidavit as saying: “I am part of a criminal syndicate.”
Scharnick wants Ipid to investigate Matwa for falsifying his words, misrepresenting his criminal history and soliciting fabricated evidence against Sibiya and others. Scharnick lodged it on October 5, escalating to Bila on October 25.
Scharnick accused Matwa of intentionally deleting “not” to deceive the Randburg Regional Court during bail proceedings after he was arrested in Douglasdale over firearms compliance.
He also accused Matwa of telling the court that he had a violent criminal record involving hijacking, fraud and extortion.
Scharnick said his SAPS 69 criminal-record document reflected no such convictions.
He said the Department of Justice had expunged his qualifying previous convictions under section 271B of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Scharnick said Matwa instead claimed that someone had illegally removed criminal records from the police system.
Scharnick also challenged Matwa’s account of a protection order. He said Matwa told the bail court that an active protection order existed against him even though the relevant court had refused an interim order.
He also accused Matwa of misrepresenting the installation of his firearm safe. He said Matwa claimed adhesive attached the safe to a cupboard. Scharnick maintained that bolts secured it to a wall.
Scharnick said Matwa tried to turn him into an informant during a journey across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal on August 20. Matwa offered to drop criminal charges and compensate him if he fabricated evidence against Sibiya, businessman Suliman Carrim, Steve Mutsumi and a person known only as “Cat”.
“When I refused, he threatened to manufacture dockets to publicly humiliate them.”
He said Matwa and members of the Commission Recommendation Task Team had confronted him outside the Madlanga Commission proceedings earlier that day, under the “false guise” of conducting a firearms compliance inspection before detaining and transporting him.
Scharnick linked the arrest to a complaint he opened against Lt-General Dumisani Khumalo at Pretoria Central police station. He accused Khumalo of perjury, defeating the ends of justice and breaching privacy laws through evidence before the Madlanga Commission.
He said an investigator contacted him in April and requested affidavits, WhatsApp records and supporting documents.
Scharnick said he trusted the officer with confidential information because he expected police to investigate Khumalo.
Instead, the investigator handed his information to the Commission Recommendation Task Team and Provincial Tracking Task Team, which he said reported to Khumalo.
Scharnick said Matwa later attached part of the confidential complaint to his bail affidavit.
He called this the “weaponisation” of information he had supplied while seeking police action against a senior officer.
The businessman told Bila that Ipid had failed to provide a master case number, identify an investigator or preserve cellphone, tower and police vehicle-tracking records.
“This total omission leaves rogue police officers operating with absolute impunity.”
He demanded investigations into alleged perjury, corruption, extortion and defeating the ends of justice.
Ipid confirmed receipt of a formal complaint from Scharnick on November 5. Spokesperson Lizzy Suping said Scharnick raised concerns about “alleged procedural unfairness and gross injustice” in the handling of two cases.
- Businessman Stuart Scharnick alleges Sergeant Thembekile Matwa falsified his sworn statement by removing the word “not” to change his denial of criminal syndicate involvement into an admission during bail proceedings.
- Scharnick claims Matwa misrepresented his criminal history, falsely asserting he had convictions for hijacking, fraud, and extortion, which Scharnick says were expunged by the Department of Justice.
- Matwa allegedly pressured Scharnick to fabricate evidence against Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, businessman Suliman Carrim, Steve Mutsumi, and a person known as “Cat,” threatening to manufacture dockets if he refused.
- Scharnick accused Matwa of misrepresenting a protection order and the installation method of his firearm safe during court proceedings and linked his arrest to a prior complaint against Lt-General Dumisani Khumalo.
- The Independent Police Investigative Directorate confirmed receipt of Scharnick’s formal complaint on November 5, which includes allegations of perjury, corruption, extortion, and defeating the ends of justice.
A complaint that a police officer falsified businessman Stuart Scharnick’s sworn statement to turn his denial of criminal involvement into an admission before court has landed on the desk of Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) executive director Dr Hlengani Bila.
Scharnick, an ally of disgraced former head of police detectives, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, alleges that Sergeant Thembekile Matwa removed “not” from his statement during a court battle over his release on bail.
He says his original statement read: “I am NOT part of a criminal syndicate.” Matwa quoted him in a bail affidavit as saying: “I am part of a criminal syndicate.”
Scharnick wants Ipid to investigate Matwa for falsifying his words, misrepresenting his criminal history and soliciting fabricated evidence against Sibiya and others. Scharnick lodged it on October 5, escalating to Bila on October 25.
Scharnick accused Matwa of intentionally deleting “not” to deceive the Randburg Regional Court during bail proceedings after he was arrested in Douglasdale over firearms compliance.
He also accused Matwa of telling the court that he had a violent criminal record involving hijacking, fraud and extortion.
Scharnick said his SAPS 69 criminal-record document reflected no such convictions.
He said the Department of Justice had expunged his qualifying previous convictions under section 271B of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Scharnick said Matwa instead claimed that someone had illegally removed criminal records from the police system.
Scharnick also challenged Matwa’s account of a protection order. He said Matwa told the bail court that an active protection order existed against him even though the relevant court had refused an interim order.
He also accused Matwa of misrepresenting the installation of his firearm safe. He said Matwa claimed adhesive attached the safe to a cupboard. Scharnick maintained that bolts secured it to a wall.
Scharnick said Matwa tried to turn him into an informant during a journey across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal on August 20. Matwa offered to drop criminal charges and compensate him if he fabricated evidence against Sibiya, businessman Suliman Carrim, Steve Mutsumi and a person known only as “Cat”.
“When I refused, he threatened to manufacture dockets to publicly humiliate them.”
He said Matwa and members of the Commission Recommendation Task Team had confronted him outside the Madlanga Commission proceedings earlier that day, under the “false guise” of conducting a firearms compliance inspection before detaining and transporting him.
Scharnick linked the arrest to a complaint he opened against Lt-General Dumisani Khumalo at Pretoria Central police station. He accused Khumalo of perjury, defeating the ends of justice and breaching privacy laws through evidence before the Madlanga Commission.
He said an investigator contacted him in April and requested affidavits, WhatsApp records and supporting documents.
Scharnick said he trusted the officer with confidential information because he expected police to investigate Khumalo.
Instead, the investigator handed his information to the Commission Recommendation Task Team and Provincial Tracking Task Team, which he said reported to Khumalo.
Scharnick said Matwa later attached part of the confidential complaint to his bail affidavit.
He called this the “weaponisation” of information he had supplied while seeking police action against a senior officer.
The businessman told Bila that Ipid had failed to provide a master case number, identify an investigator or preserve cellphone, tower and police vehicle-tracking records.
“This total omission leaves rogue police officers operating with absolute impunity.”
He demanded investigations into alleged perjury, corruption, extortion and defeating the ends of justice.
Ipid confirmed receipt of a formal complaint from Scharnick on November 5. Spokesperson Lizzy Suping said Scharnick raised concerns about “alleged procedural unfairness and gross injustice” in the handling of two cases.
