The Madlanga Commission heard on Monday that Major General Feroz Khan, the suspended deputy head of Crime Intelligence, assisted businessman Ismail Vally to secure an SAPS tender for motor spares which was advertised through National Treasury in 2021.
It was also revealed that he benefited from R150,000 cash, a luxury watch and a V8 car from Vally.
The evidence was led by Advocate Adila Hassim SC, the commission’s evidence leader, in the absence of Khan, as he is in hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds to his abdomen last week. Khan was represented by his attorney, Mohammed Valley.
The WhatsApp texts shown before the Commission revealed that Khan was conversing with a senior procurement officer (Fani Molefe) at the National Treasury, getting inside information about the tender while the adjudication process was ongoing and the contract had not yet been awarded.
Molefe was later appointed as SAPS Divisional Commissioner for supply chain management functions. He is currently on suspension for his role in the awarding of the multimillion-rand tender to Medicare24 Tshwane, a company belonging to controversial tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.
The texts paint Khan as someone who could facilitate tender deals through his connections.
Hassim told the Commission that Khan receives the information during the procurement process before the tender is awarded and shares it with Vally.
Vally texts Khan saying, “I think our man forgot the meeting,” and Khan responds, “I will call him now.”
Vally says, “Blood, we can meet him tomorrow, no problem.” To which Khan responds, ‘okay’.
On 17 September 2021 Vally says, “Blood, we’ll touch base with your man tomorrow and see how we’re looking.”
Then on 28 September 2021, Vally says, “Please trouble our man for progress, please.” Khan says, “ok”
Then Vally received a message which read: “Hi Ish, we are having a Microsoft Teams meeting on Tuesday, 3rd May 2022 at 09H00 with Peace Gumede & Zanele Mkhwanazi from Treasury & Team from SAPS to discuss SAPS garages purchasing buyouts (items/categories not listed on the RT45-2021 pricing schedule). We need them to agree to add this to the price list as it is crucial for us, If we don’t get this approved, we will be losing money.”
He then forwarded it to Khan, who responded, “Pls attend bro. It’s important.”
Vally says, “Will big bro tell Fan (Fani Molefe) to make sure it’s approved.”
A few days later Vally texts Khan and says, “Meeting went sh*t. They wanna retender for all the parts they missed. Basically buy-outs which are 70 percent of the volume.”
Khan responded, “Wslm (greetings). Dumb c*nts.” Vally then says, “very.”
Co-commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC noted that in the texts, “You’ve got General Khan who is discussing with our man, and then you have got this person who is forwarding these messages to him (Khan), who in fact seems to be talking to somebody else within Treasury who is telling them what is going on with this tender.
Hassim stated that “That’s correct, Commissioner Baloyi, but we just do not know who that person is, but there is a conversation happening, apparent from the text. She added that Vally receives info and he goes to Khan and says, “Will bro ask your guy”
“Throughout these text messages there is a reference to “our guy, your guy, the main man, etc. I will show in some of these texts that at least one of the guys inside Treasury that they are talking to is Mr Fani,” Hassim said.
In other texts, Valley asks Khan if he needs cash. He states that he has R150,000 to give to him. Khan then sends banking details of his minor son.
Later, Vally sends pictures of various luxury watches to Khan, and Khan responds to Vally with the watch of his choice.
Then Vally tells Khan that he has got the V8 and keys ready for Khan.
Hassim stated that the transactions in these texts show Khan’s financial benefits to tender syndicates or misuse of his SAPS position.
gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za
