Cele is an 'extortionist', Mogotsi a 'con artist', Matlala reveals to MPs

Controversial businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala concluded his evidence before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on police corruption on Thursday, accusing former minister Bheki Cele of being an extortionist

Matlala also said alleged fixer and information peddler Brown Mogotsi is nothing more than a "con artist".

He claimed that Mogotsi and Cele only wanted money from him for their personal gain.

Matlala’s testimony before the ad hoc committee wrapped up after two days at the Kgosi Mampuru correctional facility in Pretoria, where he is awaiting trial for attempted murder.

This week, he took members of the committee through details of how he made several cash payments to Cele and Mogotsi for different reasons.

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Matlala said Cele had initially solicited a R1 million bribe from him and eventually stopped taking his calls.

He also dismissed Mogotsi’s attempts to get money from him to fund his political activities.

“I will say I will regard Brown Mogotsi as a con artist, and Cele I would say is an extortionist,” he said.

He said he was only interested in funding Minister Senzo Mchunu who was campaigning to be the next African National Congress (ANC) leader.

“Anything that had to do with Minister Mchunu, that’s what I was entertaining.”

The committee concluded its hearings and will call in more witnesses, like former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride after being granted another extension until February.