Listen here.A top South African cop, Major General Feroz Khan of Crime Intelligence, and a tobacco kingpin, Mohamed Sayed, plotted to “f….up well known anti-crime activist and Tax Justice SA Founder, Yusuf Abramjee. In this interview with Chris Steyn, Abramjee details a litany of shocking revelations in a 750-page bundle released by the Madlanga Commission. Abramjee vows not to be silenced. “General Khan has been subpoenaed to appear before the commission on the 1st of July. And I'm sure that he will come clean. He has to come clean because we cannot allow this lawlessness. We cannot allow this collusion. We cannot allow this intimidation to continue….You cannot be a policeman and a criminal.” Abramjee points out how revelations at the Madlanga Commission again show how rotten the criminal justice system is, but warns: “I believe it's only the tip of the iceberg. We have a major problem within the police service and also other arms of the criminal justice system. And we need to make sure that the recommendations and the suggestions coming out of the Madlanga Commission are implemented.”.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Edited transcript of the interview.Chris Steyn (00:00.713)A top South African cop, Major General Feroz Khan of Crime Intelligence and a tobacco kingpin plotted against Tax Justice SA Founder, Yusuf Abramjee. He is with us now. Welcome, Yusuf.Yusuf Abramjee (00:15.865)Hello, thank you, Chris.Chris Steyn (00:18.049)Yusuf, this has emerged in court papers before the Madlanga Commission. Please share with our viewers exactly what was said between the two on WhatsApp.Yusuf Abramjee (00:32.558)Let me go a step back. You're correct, Chris. These documents were revealed in a 750-page bundle released by the Madlanga Commission this week. And many of those affidavits were submitted to the High Court because Major General Feroz Khan, who was second or third in charge of Crime Intelligence, brought an urgent application after police seized his devices, as well as an iPad from his house in Houghton. He then tried to silence the commission by not allowing them access to the devices and wanted them returned but when the Commission got the devices from the police it appears they downloaded the chats and the data and that is where all these explosive revelations emerged. They then went through the court case. So in this 750-page bundle there are … papers from evidence leaders at the Madalanga Commission and investigators and they highlight some of the chats between Major General Feroz Khan and the likes of Mohamed Sayed with …of Carnilinx. They're the same company where Adriano Mazzotti is a director. Very controversial company, as you well know. And in these chats, a number of issues emerged. And at one stage in 2023, the two of them were talking. They took a Tax Justice statement, a press statement that Mohamed Sayed shared with Feroz Khan in which we criticised Carnilinx and we questioned some of their products which were flooded on the illicit market. And he uses words to the effect and excuse the language, I'm just quoting from the court papers. Yusuf Abramjee needs to be fucked up, bro, unquote. General Khan replies and he says, I agree, he needs to be fucked up. And so the conversation continues. And at one stage, Mohamed Sayed also uses a very insulting term against me, the P word which shows that these people were clearly upset and angered at our continued fight against illicit trade specifically mentioning them - and I must say you know it's very worrying: it just again shows how these people involved in the illicit trade can go to try to intimidate people to try to even do dangerous actions on people and clearly we will not be silenced.Yes I do receive death threats but…Yusuf Abramjee (02:57.876)This is a confirmation of how these people behave and how they act. But being a top cop in the South African Police Service makes it even more worrying.Chris Steyn (03:09.042)Indeed, what do these revelations confirm?Yusuf Abramjee (03:13.182)Well, the revelations confirm that Mohamed Sayed and Feroz Khan conspired in trying to attack the opposition in the tobacco industry. He told Khan to get the cops to go and raid certain premises and certain factories. He then sent him at one stage to check on the Botswana border, Komati Poort, and also some of the other opposition products that people were selling. And I'm told that Wiandre Pretorius, the cop...who took his, or rather the Crime Intelligence operative, who I believe was a friend of Khan, who took his own life. He was linked to the murder of Marius van der Merwe, Witness D. He was responsible for many of the seizures - and even Khan, we see in some of the chats, was sharing some sensitive police information with Mohamed Sayed. So clearly they were in cahoots to work and to try to rep the opposition, but also...where at one stage, Mohamed Sayed, during COVID asked him to get a contract regarding one or other police equipment or to secure a tender. They then spoke to a General Fani, the Head of Procurement, who by the way has been suspended from the police. His name has come up repeatedly. They also talk about another few issues. For example, the former City Manager of Ekurhuleni, Mashazi, and she flew to London on a R3.2 million or something cost. It appears now that that money came from one of… aviation companies. They also were talking to Julius Malema. Mohamed said Khan gave him a number of questions to ask in Parliament. It appears targeting the then Inspector General of Intelligence. Khan also, it emerges from these chats, wanted some information of the VBS curator. And he then got the information for Julius Malema, sensitive and confidential information and telephone number of the curator and the name and so on… So clearly a very worrying relationship between General Khan and other people…Yes, you know, I've been very vocal, Chris, as you well know about the illicit trade the the extent that these people will go you might remember years ago Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation…Yusuf Abramjee (05:31.495)GLTC summoned me for R40 million rands for saying that the products were illicit. The matter went to the High Court. It was struck from the roll. And so it continues.Chris Steyn (05:41.386)This is just the latest in attempts to silence you, Yusuf. What message do you have for the general and the kingpin?Yusuf Abramjee (05:52.048)I hope these people are brought to book. They need to be held accountable. And we know that General Khan has been subpoenaed to appear before the commission on the 1st of July. And I'm sure that he will come clean. He has to come clean because we cannot allow this lawlessness. We cannot allow this collusion. We cannot allow this intimidation to continue. And people in so-called uniform who are involved with these people is a worrying trend.You know, you cannot be a policeman and a politician. You cannot be a policeman and a criminal. And really, I think the revelations at the Madlanga Commission again show how rotten our criminal justice system is. I've said it before, Chris, and I'll repeat it. I believe it's only the tip of the iceberg. We have a major problem within the police service and also other arms of the criminal justice system. And we need to make sure that the recommendations and the suggestions coming out of the Madlang Commission are implemented. You know, almost 28, senior cops have been arrested on various charges from defeating the ends of justice, to corruption, to collusion. We know the likes of Vusi Matlala was working with these cops. So we really need to swift action in bringing these people to book.Chris Steyn (07:09.142)Indeed. Thank you. That was Yusuf Abramjee speaking to BizNews. I'm Chris Steyn. Thank you, Yusuf.Yusuf Abramjee (07:15.727)Thank you.