Publications
Partners
State Security Agency (SSA) head Arthur Fraser has been accused of intimidating the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Setlhomamaru Dintwe, and trying to suspend him even though he does not have the authority to do so.
According to Dintwe, the alleged threats came after he began investigating “serious allegations” that were levelled against Fraser.
“In an effort to distract me from conducting this investigation, the director-general has obstructed the functioning of my office. He is also undermining my investigation into the allegations against him. He has acted in defiance of my constitutional mandate and powers,” said Dintwe.
Fraser was implicated in author Jacques Pauw’s book, The President’s Keepers, and accused of running a parallel intelligence network during a previous stint at the spy agency before 2010.
According to the book, an internal SSA probe concluded that Fraser should be charged with treason for his role in the running of the SSA’s Principal Agent Network.
According to a media statement released by Dintwe on Wednesday, he received complaints that implicated Fraser, and after initiating an investigation on the matter he started facing opposition from the head of the SSA.
“Some of the allegations levelled against Fraser are in the public domain … the allegations are serious and have a damaging effect to the standing as well as the general image of the intelligence services,” explained Dintwe.
Subsequent to his investigation, Dintwe claimed that the Fraser threatened and intimidated him on more than one occasion and even went as far as trying to revoke his security clearance.
“There is no lawful reason or basis for the revocation of my security clearance. The only purpose for revoking my security clearance is to prevent me from investigating him. This is obviously unlawful and an attack on my office and the Constitution,” said Dintwe.
“The director-general went further than that and ‘suspended’ me although he does not have any authority to do so. He wrote to me informing me that I cannot have access to any intelligence as well any intelligence premises including my own office, the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence.”
Section 8(a) of the Intelligence Services Act states that the inspector-general shall have access to any intelligence, information or premises under the control of any service if such access is required by the inspector-general.
Dintwe – who was appointed in March 2017 after the position was vacant for a period of nearly two years – has since taken the matter to court and launched a court interdict to stop Fraser from interfering with his constitutional mandate.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence is established by Section 210 of the Constitution of South Africa. Its primary function is to perform civilian oversight of the intelligence services, including the State Security Agency.
“The matter is now in the court’s hands. I am advised accordingly not to make any further public announcements until further notice or such time that the courts have pronounced on this matter,” concluded Dintwe.
- Additional reporting by News24
