Ex-Hawks boss claims billionaire paid R10m for Glynnis Breytenbach’s DA position

Former Gauteng Hawks boss Prince Mokotedi has accused DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach of maintaining a corrupt relationship with billionaire businessman Nathan Kirsh, a claim Breytenbach has dismissed as rubbish.

Mokotedi claimed the billionaire paid R10m to secure Breytenbach’s spot in the party after her resignation from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and also purchased $1m (R16m) worth of company shares for her.

Breytenbach previously served as head of the specialised commercial crime unit at the NPA. She resigned in 2014 to enter politics after her controversial suspension over allegations of misconduct, improper behaviour and abuse of power relating to her handling of a mining rights dispute between Kumba Iron Ore and Imperial Crown Trading (ICT). An internal NPA disciplinary hearing subsequently cleared her of all 16 misconduct charges.

In an interview with The Unpopular Opinion, Mokotedi claimed that during the investigation into Breytenbach, documents retrieved from her laptop revealed interactions with Kirsh, who was a complainant in an NPA case she was prosecuting.

“They were more than just prosecutor and complainant,” Mokotedi said.

Elaborating on the alleged corrupt relationship, Mokotedi claimed Kirsh paid $1m to a US company to purchase shares on Breytenbach’s behalf after she successfully recovered roughly R200m that had been stolen from the businessman.

“I personally interviewed the owners of that company when they were in South Africa and they confirmed that Kirsh bought those shares for Breytenbach,” Mokotedi said, adding he has documentary evidence to support his claims.

Mokotedi further alleged that Kirsh financed Breytenbach’s legal defence during her NPA disciplinary hearing by funnelling money through the FW de Klerk Foundation.

“I went and interviewed De Klerk. We exchanged letters, and they confirmed the money came from Kirsh,” Mokotedi said. “They provided statements showing the amounts Kirsh paid in, as well as the payments made to the lawyers. Whatever money was left over in the trust account after paying the legal fees was paid directly to Glynnis. Clearly, it was intended for her, confirming a corrupt relationship between Breytenbach and Kirsh.”

Additionally, Mokotedi claimed Kirsh covered other personal expenses for Breytenbach, including paying R10,000 for a golf outing in Warmbaths.

After these findings, Mokotedi said he submitted a formal complaint to the director-general of justice and the public service commission, which identified further potential legal transgressions by Breytenbach.

He added he referred the matter to the police and crime intelligence. Intercepts then allegedly revealed conversations between Kirsh and a DA official named James, in which Kirsh reportedly offered another R10m to secure a political slot in Gauteng for Breytenbach, whom Kirsh allegedly referred to as his “little daughter” while she was still suspended from the NPA.

“Kirsh then gave R10m to the DA to buy a spot for Breytenbach,” Mokotedi alleged. “He practically bought her position, telling them, ‘Take my little girl into your political party, and here’s R10m for it.’”

Breytenbach has consistently maintained that the investigations and accusations against her were politically-motivated retaliation caused by her refusal to drop separate corruption charges against high-ranking police officials.

However, Mokotedi insisted that Breytenbach still has a case to answer.

“I don’t think she sleeps well because this won’t die. She knows it was bribery and corruption,” Mokotedi said. “That will stay with her, whether or not law enforcement reopens the docket … because it is a complete case.”

Breytenbach dismissed the allegations as “rubbish”.

“It’s rubbish. Total rubbish,” she told TimesLIVE.

“It was traversed in my disciplinary, and the subsequent criminal trial, in both of which I was cleared and fully vindicated. It is also 14-year-old rubbish, with which I will not further waste my time.”

TimesLIVE