From: Sasha Schwendenwein
Sent: 14 May 2018 10:22 AM
To: jhspies
Cc: hlouw; Velekhaya Mgobhozi
Subject: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Good Morning,
Prosecutor Spies, Ms. Louw, Mr. Mgobhozi,
Hope you are all well. Please see my request for interview with Prosecutor Spies attached.
CARTE BLANCHE LETTER PROSECUTOR JOANIE SPIES NPA
kind regards,
Sasha Schwendenwein
Researcher: Carte Blanche
From: Hurbetin Mjonondwane
Sent: 14 May 2018 11:45 AM
To: Joanie H. Spies
Cc: Luvuyo Mfaku
Subject: FW: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Importance: High
Morning
Please see below and attached request for an interview.
Regards
Phindi
From: Luvuyo Mfaku
Sent: 14 May 2018 12:48 PM
To: Joanie H. Spies
Cc: Anthony Mosing (A)
Subject: FW: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Importance: High
From: Anthony Mosing (A)
Sent: 14 May 2018 02:03 PM
To: Luvuyo Mfaku; Joanie H. Spies
Cc: Dania Bruwer
Subject: RE: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Joanie can you please prepare a draft response urgently. I do not recall the facts and issues raised by the journalist in this request. Regards.
A Mosing
From: Joanie H. Spies
Sent: 14 May 2018 03:09 PM
To: Andrew KMA. Chauke
Subject: FW: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Adv Chauke,
Please advise what I should do in this instance.
Shall I submit a short reply to Luvuyo by e-mail? (I will copy you). I have not replied to him yet.
I have also not replied to Adv Mosing as I am of the view that I work under you.
In any event I do not have ANY comment on any of their questions as the person who approached them, one Kathy Austin, is an information pedlar and no police docket was ever registered or opened. However, I am prepared to give the background to Luvuyo so that he can understand where I am coming from.
Regards
Joanie
From: Andrew KMA. Chauke
Sent: 15 May 2018 02:48 PM
To: Joanie H. Spies
Cc: Anthony Mosing (A)
Subject: RE: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Morning. Noted. Go ahead as planned.
Regards,
Andrew Chauke
Director of Public Prosecution
National Prosecuting Authority
From: Joanie H. Spies
Sent: 16 May 2018 08:33 AM
To: Luvuyo Mfaku
Cc: Andrew KMA. Chauke
Subject: FW: Carte Blanche request: Prosecutor Joanie Spies NPA
Dear Luvuyo,
In response to the request by Carte Blanche for an interview, the following:
I am not prepared to be interviewed by Carte Blanche, whether telephonically or otherwise.
Quite a number of the facts/allegations mentioned in the request by Ms Wein, are incorrect.
The background to the information I dealt with, is briefly the following.
One Mr Rod Khatabi (Director of Safety and Advisor for Justice Initiatives) based in the USA contacted me and also came to see me late in 2016. He stated that one Kathi Austen has approached him with information about rhino poaching and CZ fire-arms. He provided me with her report that she gave to him. Personally I did not know her at the time. Apparently she had approached Mr Khatabi as no one on South-Africa would help her. I only later found out that she had been to see each and every law enforcement agency in RSA and anyone else who would listen and all were fed up with her.
Anyhow, I worked through the report and had a number of queries and as a starting point requested Mr Khatabi that Ms Austen provide all the documentary proof that she allegedly had, to me. My view was that if documentary proof existed, such would be forwarded to SAPS to investigate. Initially both Mr Khatabi and myself believed that Ms Austen was eager to provide her documentation to us. He attempted to get this from her over a period of a few months, but was never successful in obtaining same. At one stage Ms Austen liaised with Mr Khatabi through her lawyer, but still no documents were forthcoming. The end result was that I never received any documentary proof to substantiate allegations made in her report.
As nothing was forthcoming from Ms Austen, I e-mailed Mr Khatabi and stated that I consider the matter closed. This was on 18 July 2017.
Against this background, the following facts in the request by Ms Wien are incorrect:
1. No statement was made by Ms Austen, I only received a report containing unsubstantiated allegations.
2. Ms Austen was not prepared to present her documentary proof.
3. As far as I can recall, Ms Austen is no firearms trafficking expert, but appears to be someone who collects information from different persons.
4. There was also no case docket opened or registered with SAPS, once again as there was no statement/documents to justify such. I understood that Ms Austen had seen members of the Hawks, SSA, crime intel etc etc and as she could never supply anything concrete, she was shown the door.
5. Mention is made of two alleged South-African suspects by the name of Stoltz. By the same token, mention was also made of many other persons in Ms Austen’s report. It is not clear why these particular persons are labelled as “suspects”, as it could very well turn out that other persons are suspects, if her allegations could be substantiated.
6. If Ms Austen is prepared to make available her documents or any proof she has available, she should make such available to SAPS. My view has been the same all along: if any proof can be supplied, I would forward same to SAPS who would investigated same.
7. I was never involved in discussion with Mozambique relating to wildlife crime, and can therefore not comment on this.
In conclusion, it appears to me that Ms Austen is again doing what she has done in the past: approaching people stating she has all this information, but such is never seen or presented. Only this time the unfortunate victim is Carte Blanche.
Regards
Joanie