JP HITS BACK AT BOOI

JP SMITH has hit back at former City of Cape Town colleague Malusi Booi’s claims that Smith is leading a witch hunt against him.

Booi was arrested last September and removed as the Mayco member of Human Settlements after he was accused of being part of a R1 billion tender fraud case alongside the likes of alleged 28s gang leader Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson.

Last Friday, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that they had provisionally  dropped the charges after new evidence came to light. 

In an interview with the Cape Times earlier this week, Booi implicated two senior City officials as being behind the raid to his offices last year, leading to his arrest over alleged tender collusion. 

The two officials he implicated are Mayco member for Safety and Security Smith and City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo, saying: “I know it’s the two of them. I’ve got it on record.” 

He said Smith had made statements saying he was the one who gave police information while Mbandazayo made remarks in a CCMA case that “he wanted to deal with me harshly”. 

But Smith says: “As stated previously, each time potential wrongdoing within the City of Cape Town came to my attention, I reported the allegations to the relevant authorities for investigation as I am legally mandated and ethically bound to do. 

“I am not privy to any details regarding the SAPS investigations into the allegations against Mr Booi. 

“The public statement issued by the NPA makes it clear that the criminal charges against Mr Booi have only been provisionally withdrawn pending investigations into newly discovered evidence.”

Smith is also part of a police investigation, having had his offices raided by the police earlier this year over alleged links to suspects arrested in connection with a criminal syndicate accused of targeting public contracts.  

He has since turned to the Western Cape High Court in an application against the SAPS and a magistrate, accusing them of procedural dishonesty following the raid.