Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde, has unleashed his lawyers on parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system for “falsely associating him with drug cartels” in Gauteng.
Nkabinde is seething with anger that evidence leader Adv Norman Arendse SC this week linked him to drug cartels without evidence.
If Arendse does not issue a public retraction and apology, he threatened, a bruising legal showdown is unavoidable.
This is contained in a letter of demand that Nkabinde’s lawyers sent to Arendse on Friday.
In the letter, Nkabinde said that Arendse made the “false, misleading and damaging” remarks against Nkabinde on Wednesday during the appearance of suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya.
“He specifically posed a question to Lt-Gen Sibiya along the following lines that: ‘Do you know Cedric Nkabinde?’,” reads the letter of demand by Nkabinde’s lawyers, Lawton Africa Attorneys.
“In response, Lt-Gen Sibiya confirmed that he knew Mr Nkabinde, and identified him as the chief of staff to the minister of police.
“Arendse, subsequent to asking Lt-Gen Sibiya whether he knew several people (mentioned in the same line with our client), then made a remark that ‘these are all people who are mentioned in the WhatsApps … they are all linked to the drug cartels operating in Gauteng’.
“Arendse went on to say words to the effect that: ‘most times all of us, we are known by the company we keep’.”
Nkabinde insists that Arendse has no evidence to back up his claims that he is in cahoots with drug cartels and denies that anyone who has appeared before the ad-hoc committee implicated him along those lines.
“Furthermore, the circulation of these defamatory remarks has already caused significant harm to our client’s personal dignity, professional standing, and future career prospects,” Nkabinde’s lawyers go on.
“The gravity of these statements, especially when made under the guise of official parliamentary proceedings and amplified through national broadcasting platforms, cannot be overstated.”
Unless Arendse, Nkabinde is demanding, can produce evidence linking him to “so-called drug cartel(s) that operate in Gauteng”, he has no choice but to retract publicly “without delay”.
Nkabinde also wants Arendse gagged from making future remarks linking him to drug cartels or criminal syndicates without evidence.
“Should Arendse SC fail and/or refuses and/or neglect to comply with the above call, our client will be left with no option but to pursue all appropriate legal remedies available to our client, including but not limited to a claim for defamation and
reputational damages, without further notice.”
Meanwhile, forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has launched a counter-defamation claim against KZN police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, demanding a staggering R10-million.
O’Sullivan, in his papers, argues that Mkhwanazi fired a series of untruths about him during his appearance at both the Madlanga commission and ad-hoc committee, including that he is a British intelligence spy and agent of the Mossad.
“The false and defamatory statements, and the statement inciting violence against the defendant (O’Sullivan), were seen and heard by the South African public and have caused harm to the good name, reputation and dignity of the defendant.
“As a result of the harm to the good name and reputation and the dignity of the defendant, the defendant has suffered damages in the amount of R10-million.”
