Hawks boss confirms sending officers to verify validity of raid on ‘KT’ Molefe’s home

The head of the Hawks' Tactical Operations Unit, Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena, has confirmed that he dispatched Hawks officers to verify the legitimacy of a police operation at the home of alleged criminal Katiso “KT” Molefe.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Wednesday, Mokoena claimed he was instructed by his superior to confirm whether the raid and arrest of Molefe in December last year were legitimate.

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The Political Killings Task Team had raided Molefe’s home to arrest him in connection with the murder of a Vereeniging engineer - Armand Swart.

However, it has been alleged that a group of “very aggressive” Hawks officers tried to prevent the task team from carrying out the arrest.

Mokoena told the commission he had only deployed two Hawks officers to verify the operation and had no knowledge of where the other officers came from.

"When the division commander gave me an instruction, he said there are members alleging to be for the Hawks and with General Lebeya. I instructed my members to go to Molefe’s address to confirm if it’s a legit police operation."