Warrant Officer Karl Sander of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday that he was removed from the narcotics unit for disrupting the drug trade and stepping on the toes of officials linked to drug syndicates.
He testified that for a drug supply chain to operate, a syndicate would need collusion from a corrupt police officer and a customs official.
Sander was transferred from the KZN Hawks narcotics unit to provincial support services on February 13, 2024 pending a corruption investigation linked to drug dealing.
He told the commission that KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona served him a letter regarding allegations that he was dealing in drugs, but he had not officially been informed of the investigation’s outcome.
In the letter, Senona stated that a complaint was lodged against Sander.
He said he was not informed in writing about the specific allegations against him, only verbally.
“I was told that an email had been sent to the national head office – that I was accused of supplying or facilitating supply of narcotics to Florida Road nightclub syndicates,” he said.
He denied corruption, saying he would not sell drugs and that if he were corrupt he would sell guns instead because “my expertise is guns”.
He said he never officially received the investigation’s outcome, but unofficially he was told the inquiry closed within four days and was given to Hawks members from Port Shepstone.
Sander said that despite being moved to support services his post never changed on the system; he continued to go to his old office and retained the same title.
Asked about his work experience at support services, he said:”For me it was prison. People I worked with – amazing. I will say that over and over again, incredible humans….but there was a post that I applied for and during the post they did a financial vetting and it came up that I was a director of a shooting club.”
He added that the shooting club also comprised some of the SAPS members.
“We preserve the bank account to stop people from changing the name or committing fraud,” he said, adding that a non-profit company was registered for that purpose.
“I was charged for registering a company without telling the police I had an interest in the business. The outcome of that was a verbal warning,” he said.
He told the commission that he was moved from narcotics because he stepped on their toes.
Sander said: “In short – I am just going to say – maybe I became a thorn in their side because I was interfering with their supply chain. For the supply chain to work correctly you need a corrupt policeman. You need a corrupt customs official; you need a corrupt policeman – then your system flows.”
Sander’s testimony continues.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
