FORMER spy boss Mulangi Mphego has dropped a bombshell, saying the spy tapes that Mokotedi Mpshe used as a reason to drop corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma cannot be “attributed to the Crime Intelligence”.

Mphego’s claims, which come in the wake of political battles at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) which have seen the imminent suspension of national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) Mxolisi Nxasana and the arrest of top official Lawrence Mrwebi this week, could bolster efforts by the DA to have the charges against Zuma reinstated.

The DA’s five-year legal battle to obtain secret recordings will continue in the Supreme Court of Appeal later this month. The NPA is appealing the High Court order compelling it to hand over the spy tapes to the party.

Mpshe, who was acting NDPP at the time, dropped the corruption charges against Zuma after recordings of former prosecuting bosses Bulelani Ngcuka and Leonard McCarthy allegedly suggested there had been political interference in the case. The charges were dropped in 2009 just before the elections, paving the way for Zuma to become president.

Mphego told Weekend Argus sister title the Sunday Independent yesterday: “The spy tapes Mpshe is referring to cannot be attributed to Crime Intelligence. I listened to all the tapes. I was surprised when I saw Mpshe on TV stating the reasons for dropping the charges.”

Reacting to Mphego’s explosive claims, Mpshe said he was convinced that the charges against Zuma had to be dropped and “I still stand by my decision”.

He said he did not regret dropping the charges against Zuma. “It does not mean that if you listen to the same thing you will have the same interpretation,” Mpshe said.

He also pointed out that he was not sure if he had listened to the same spy tapes as Mphego. “I was not with him. How do I know we listened to the same tapes?”

Mpshe said he got the spy tapes from the National Intelligence Agency. “I listened to the tapes and I left them there.”

When Mphego was asked if this meant Mpshe had fabricated the tapes, he said: “Ask Mpshe. What I know is that the tapes that he is referring to are not the tapes I listened to.”

But Mphego challenged Mpshe to produce the tapes that he had listened to. “I’m an operative, I don’t know what Mpshe was talking about. They can’t be the same tapes that I had listened to.

“I listened to Mpshe on TV and I was shocked because I could not reconcile what he was saying with what I knew. Remember, I was head of Crime Intelligence at the time,” Mphego said.
  
Mphego was forced to resign after he was charged for interfering with State witnesses in the corruption case against former national commissioner Jackie Selebi. The case of defeating the ends of justice against Mphego was struck off the roll.

With acknowledgement to Solly Maphumulo and The Witness.

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Nothing Mpshe says can be taken seriously.

He was fatally compromised from the onset.

That's why he was chosen for the post - but in an acting position - to weaken him even further.

What let him down was the strength and urgency of the glands between his big toes.

And a few interesting interpretations of ownership involving a motor car.

A storm of co-incidences perfect enough to make a decision to abandon hundreds of charges against a corrupt French arms dealer and its fellow racketeer.

Mpshe and his NPA, including fellow goon and stooge Willie Hofmeyr, did hear and see the intercept tapes, but cherry-picked their contents so discernedly as to create a "transcript" of them sufficient to create a record to assist their super hero and his benefactor escape justice - a false record.

The truth is that these intercepts were arranged by super spy Moe Shaik on the mandate of the Do What Ever It Takes Committee to free his boss and thereafter in gratitude his brother.

Then someone paid R20 million to get these audio intercepts back from their foreign warehouse  (and retirement fund) and into the hands of the NPA stooges to do their dirty business.

Cocky Mpshe got rewarded with his appointment as a judge.

Just Like Selby Baqwa SC, whose glands and rewards are distinctly identical.

We sure have lived in interesting times.