The Hawks say they have completed their investigation into the fire that broke out in the Parliamentary precinct earlier this year.
They informed the parliament about the progress of the investigation into the arson, as well as about the progress of the reconstruction.
Hawks chief Godfrey Lebeya says they cannot give full details on the case as it is currently pending in court.
However, he says they are confident the investigation will ensure a successful prosecution in court.
Lebeya and his team expressed confidence in their investigation. He told Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management that the Hawks were ready to present their evidence in court.
However, he cautioned that because the case was currently pending in court, it was difficult to reveal any further details.
“The information we are providing is that we are doing so with the understanding that the case we are dealing with is currently in court. Sometimes you’ll hear people talk about the sub judice rule when commenting on matters that are still before the court. So we do it in a way that respects that boundary. We don’t reveal much.”
Lebeya indicated that some of Maffe’s statements could be interpreted as an admission of the alleged crime.
“While we may have called the statement a confession, it will be contested, so I put it that way. But at least it should be understood that there is a statement made by the accused that oscillates between what could be considered a confession or a confession, but clearly the accused, when it comes time to defend himself in court, we can find out what it is statement that has been submitted.”
When asked about any plans to investigate whether Mayfe was alone in the act as a suspect, the Hawks chief said further investigation into any possible additional suspects was part of the plan.
“We are considering this possibility. Therefore, honorable members should be assured that no stone has been left unturned to conclude that we are now ready to go to court. Therefore, any evidence that may appear later, even during the hearing, will be considered. So, at this stage, all we can connect to this particular case are the defendants who are currently on trial.”
During his first court appearance earlier this year, it was recommended that Mayf be taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation.
Lebeya does not rule out that this possibility can be repeated if necessary.
“Let me remind you that this issue was also considered in court on the issue of mental stability and the like. Therefore, these evaluation issues were resolved. And this is not the end. And I think that can be done, but at this stage we can’t say anything other than if the court has to find that there are questions around that aspect. They can order something to be done on this basis.”
Senior police officials also revealed that senior police officers are being deployed to take charge of security matters at the parliamentary precinct.
Police Safety and Security Commissioner Sam Shitlabane says it’s part of a quick response to increased security in all areas of the facility.
“We appointed a designated commander to the parliament to govern. So what we are basically talking about here is that we have appointed a colonel in charge of the parliamentary precinct. You know the whole plot, that means he will report to this full colonel who is Colonel Molaazi and there is also a lieutenant colonel.’
