A senior SAPS Crime Intelligence official, sought by the NPA over a multi-million Rand property scandal, has reportedly gone missing. The unit allegedly spent R45 million on irregular property purchases without proper approvals, triggering an investigation by the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI) – initiated after DA pressure.
Major-General Philani Lushaba, Crime Intelligence’s CFO, failed to report for duty and is unreachable, just as the NPA’s Investigating Directorate sought to question him. The IGI’s probe focuses on two suspicious transactions: a R22.7m Pretoria boutique hotel and a R22.8m Durban commercial property, allegedly approved by Lushaba and Crime Intelligence head Maj-Gen Dumisani Khumalo without Treasury or Public Works oversight.
DA Spokesperson on State Security, Dianne Kohler Barnard, said: “This disappearance reeks of a cover-up. Crime Intelligence has become a cesspool of corruption, and SAPS must explain why a key suspect has vanished. The DA will ensure this IGI report is made public and that those responsible face consequences.”
The DA has submitted urgent parliamentary questions to Police Minister Bheki Cele and will demand that SAPS leadership, including Khumalo, appear before Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.
Crime Intelligence’s corruption legacy, dating back to the Richard Mdluli era, continues unchecked. The DA insists the IGI’s findings must lead to prosecutions and a clean-up of the unit.
“Without accountability, SAPS cannot combat organized crime or regain public trust,” added Kohler Barnard. “We will pursue this until justice is served.”
