The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, has announced that Wally Rhoode, the former head of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidential protection unit, will not be prosecuted in relation to an alleged cover-up of the Phala Phala farm robbery.
In 2020, millions of rands from game sales were stolen from President Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. This high-profile burglary nearly derailed Ramaphosa’s political career, sparking demands for his resignation due to potential breaches of ethics codes following the incident.
During a summary of the agency’s financial year in Pretoria on Friday, Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya provided an update on the Phala Phala case.
Former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser, who exposed the burglary and subsequent alleged misconduct, accused Rhoode of leading a team that illegally entered Namibia to track down suspects believed to have taken undeclared US dollars from Ramaphosa’s game farm in Limpopo.
Fraser and Rhoode were subsequently implicated in a case concerning the obstruction of justice.
Lebeya confirmed that the Hawks have decided against prosecuting the pair. “Obviously, the nitty-gritties will be given to the complainant when the complainant is requesting those. But generally, we will say there is not enough evidence on which the prosecution is prepared to take this matter,” Lebeya stated.
Lebeya also mentioned that cross-border investigations into the incident are continuing.
#Hawks #Confirm #Ramaphosas #Security #Chief #Wont #Prosecuted #Phala #Phala
