Murder accused Arnold Terblanche has revealed the identity of “Mr A,” the so-called SAPS colonel that he allegedly bribed with more than R500 000 to do his bidding.
However, Terblanche tells a different story and said that not only did he recently find out that “Mr A” was not a police colonel, but Phindile Zweni, as identified by Terblanche, allegedly posed as a member of the Hawks who was “working undercover” to “expose corruption in the SAPS and Correctional Services.”
Zweni is the chairperson of the South African Sentenced and Awaiting Trial Prisoners Organisation (SASAPO) and is, according to Terblanche, a fraudster as he had allegedly, on many occasions, swindled money out of Terblanche under the pretense of helping to exonerate him.
Express recently reported that, according to a statement compiled by the investigating officer, Col. Rhynhardt Swanepoel, Terblanche was in cahoots with someone only known as “Mr A,” who was allegedly introduced to him by a senior member or the Department of Correctional Services as a colonel in the police.
The statement claimed that Terblanche paid more than R500 000 to “Mr A” to bribe a Department of Justice official to get bail, appoint two judges of Terblanche’s liking to hear his appeal against the refusal of his bail based on new facts and to have his co-accused, Reinhardt Leach and Dylan Cullis killed. “Mr A” did not attempt any of these things.
According to the statement, Terblanche also paid “Mr A” to convince Cullis to retract his statement to say that the applicant was not involved in his wife’s murder and to attempt to remove Swanepoel as investigating officer, which he did not do. What “Mr A” allegedly did do was have a confiscated cell phone returned to Terblanche in prison, have Leach transferred to North End prison because he was “extorting” money from Terblanche and arranged contact visits with Terblanche’s girlfriend, Krystal Wiggill and two minor children.
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In his replying affidavit as read into the record in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court today, October 18, Terblanche explained that two days after a cell raid in which the cell phone used by the inmates and his notebook was confiscated in February this year, he was taken into the office of Captain Tutu, who allegedly dialled a number on his landline and handed the phone to Terblanche.
The person on the other end of the line is claimed to be Zweni, who said that he had the cell phone and notebook and after going through it, could find no evidence linking Terblanche to the crimes he is being charged with. Zweni allegedly also said that Swanepoel is of a lower rank than him and not only will he see to it that Terblanche is granted bail, but he will also have Swanepoel removed from the case.
Terblanche said that this is when Zweni started to ask for money, by hinting that he was looking for a car for his son but has bad credit and would like a loan.
“I asked him what monthly repayments he could afford, whereafter he indicated that he would discuss it with me in person. More or less a week later, Zweni came to visit me. He said that I am seen as a high-profile inmate. As such, I should be very careful and that my life is in danger.
“However, he told me that I need not worry as he has people who will look after me and protect me,” Terblanche’s statement read.
He alleged that Captain Tutu told him to not eat anything from the kitchen from sentenced offenders, especially meat, which led to him losing 20kg as he only ate food brought to him by his girlfriend, Krystal Wiggill.
Terblanche claims that during Zweni’s regular visits, he would assure him that he is investigating Swanepoel and will interview his co-accused and state witnesses, in order to prove Terblanche’s innocence.
“He said that he was trained under the Apartheid police at Vlakplaas and knew how to get the truth from people. As he couldn’t move around freely, and in order not to create suspicion, he appoints a private investigator from SASAPO who conducts the investigation on his behalf, whenever needed,” the statement read.
According to Terblanche, Zweni once again brought up the matter of wanting to buy a vehicle for his son and this is allegedly when Terblanche decided to sell his Hyundai i10 to Zweni after agreeing on a monthly payment. He continues to allege that Zweni swindled money out of him whilst reassuring him that he would soon be a free man and Swanepoel removed from the case.
He had allegedly also asked money from Terblanche’s son-in-law to pay the so-called investigator and contacted Wiggill, to tell her how he will help set Terblanche free.
The statement alleges that on several occasions, Zweni asked for “loans” amounting to thousands because his Nissan’s engine had either broken down or the gearbox was faulty. He also allegedly asked for R15 000 for dockets to be obtained from the clerk of the court by the private investigator. He allegedly also asked for R50 000, again for the private investigator, this time to allegedly interview the presiding magistrate, Kriban Pillay.
A personal loan of R20 000 for his travels to Pretoria was also paid by Terblanche. Another R50 000 was asked to allegedly interview Cullis, R75 000 for “the continuation of the investigation” and R230 000 for a new vehicle for his family.
“At this stage, I became reluctant to order further payments without being shown that progress was being made. I reluctantly indicated that I cannot continue paying him further. In any event, at that stage I was only receiving empty results as far as the investigation was concerned. As a result of empty promises regarding my release, I started doubting Zweni.
“It was after I saw a post on his Facebook profile of him behind the wheel of a new convertible that I realised he had lied to me about the family car he needed to purchase. This was the turning point in our relationship. I told him that I had caught him out and that he was a liar. I told him that I would not make any further payments. He was very upset…and indicated that my freedom was worth a lot more than I had paid,” the statement continued.
“I honestly believed that Zweni was a colonel in the Hawks, that he had the best possible intentions, and that he was working hand-in-hand with correctional services.”
Terblanche said that he had filed a complaint against Zweni with prison officials.
The case has been postponed to Monday, October 24.
Terblanche, Leach and Cullis face several charges relating to the death of Arnold’s estranged wife and Leach’s girlfriend at the time of her death, Vicki Terblanche.
