PORT ELIZABETH - ARE PE COPS SELLING TOP SECRET INFORMATION TO GANGSTERS?

Members of a covert police task team in the Bay have been accused of leaking top secret information – gathered through cellphone tapping – to criminal gangs.

Tape recordings of those involved allegedly show that a number of police officials are on criminals’ payrolls . Two people – one a crime intelligence operative – have been arrested and have appeared in court, with the case provisionally removed from the court roll.

The allegations paint a picture of officials selling classified information to criminals so they stay one step ahead of police and rival gangs. Sources close to the investigation say the tip-offs were uncovered after a counter-intelligence operation was put in place following a string of failed anti-crime initiatives.

Suspicions were raised after officials noted criminals seemed to have inside information, leading police to tap the phones of their own colleagues.

While national police spokeswoman Major-General Sally de Beer admitted an investigation was ongoing, she refused to answer specific questions about the tapes, those involved or why the information had been classified.

A number of prosecuting authority officials, who are not being named as they are prohibited from speaking to the media, confirmed the case, but police lashed out claiming a “distortion of facts” while refusing to clarify what this means.

The task team whose members were accused of leaking information was part of a covert operation aimed at clamping down on syndicates and gangs.

As per procedure, information gathered was sent to crime intelligence and the Hawks. At the time of the breach, a crime intelligence team and the Hawks – based at the Port Elizabeth organised crime offices – were working hand-in-hand.

VIA - heraldlive