1. CARYN DOLLEY
IN AN unprecedented move the
province’s top gang-buster, Major-
General Jeremy Vearey, has gone
public about a series of smear cam-
paigns against him, pointing a
finger at some of the province’s
most feared gang leaders as well as
politicians, notably Community
Safety MEC Dan Plato.
Vearey, who is provincial police
deputy commissioner for detectives,
told Weekend Argus yesterday since
he’d played a key role in having gang
boss Rashied Staggie arrested and
convicted for rape, he’d faced death
threats from gang kingpins and
smear campaigns aimed at denting
his reputation.
Vearey warned his “investiga-
tions are bringing us increasingly
close to politicians and I will go
there”.
He said the situation had intensi-
fied recently after detectives arrested
people accused of selling arms to
gangsters and began a probe into cor-
rupt crime intelligence officers.
Vearey spoke out yesterday after
several sets of documents were
leaked to media, including Weekend
Argus.
Sensationally, information in an
affidavit reportedly claims Vearey
received R2 million from Czech fugi-
tive Radovan Krejcir, who is serving
a lengthy prison sentence and whom
Vearey says he has never met or had
dealings with.
A separate document leaked to
Weekend Argus about an under-
world murder in Strand in January
alleges Vearey worked with a sus-
pected gang boss.
This affidavit was compiled at
Plato’s offices and carries a Commu-
nity Safety departmental stamp.
It relates to the murder of
Nathaniel Moses, also known as
Nigga, a leader of the Mobsters fac-
tion of the 28s gang, and claims a
high-profile alleged gang leader who
ordered Moses’s killing had told
Vearey to apply for the position of
provincial police commissioner.
The affidavit also alleges a high-
profile ANC politician received
money from this gang leader to host
a party.
Vearey said yesterday this was
yet another attempt by Plato to try to
falsely implicate him in crimes.
● In 2012 Plato compiled a
dossier on conversations he said he
(Plato) had with a businessman, Jef-
frey Franciscus, who died in a car
accident in 2011. Names of police
officers, including Vearey’s,
appeared in the dossier which
claimed Vearey had worked with
gang bosses. The dossier, circulated
to some journalists, also detailed
alleged political plots. None of this
was ever substantiated.
● In 2013, Plato provided some
journalists with a seemingly explo-
sive affidavit by an informer, Pierre
Mark Anthony Wyngaardt, from
Tafelsig. It also claimed Vearey was
linked to gangsters and alleged sen-
ior ANC members and police offi-
cers were involved in drug traffick-
ing and other crimes. But when
Weekend Argus tracked down Wyn-
gaardt he described himself as a
“prophet” who was “guided by
angels”.
The director of public prosecu-
tions declined to pursue the matter.
Plato said he had never tarnished
Vearey’s name and Vearey should
simply get on with his investiga-
tions. “I’ve got no vendetta against
him,” Plato said yesterday.
“If other sources mention (his)
name, then he must ask the sources
why... I never asked any person to
put any information in an affidavit.”
Plato said if he came across
information implicating police offi-
cers, he alerted the provincial police
commissioner in writing and
handed the information to the
Hawks, as he had done with the
information passed on to him
recently .
Plato said Vearey needed to be
careful when it came to making alle-
gations against politicians.
“He may fall flat on his own face.
I can’t help it if people give me infor-
mation.”
Vearey said yesterday: “I want to
warn the MEC: I ignored it before.
But I’m going to play this thing out,
possibly in the media now.
“I want to warn his office and his
political party. None of these mat-
ters (I’ve been investigating) had
anything to do with politics. I was
doing my job…
“If you want us to play this game
out in the media, we will, because
you forced us in that direction.
“We will go wherever investiga-
tions lead us. We are going where
the facts lead us. All of the history of
what we know about… these things
will be exposed.
“Our investigations are bringing
us increasingly close to politicians
and I will go there.”
Vearey said those running the
smear campaigns were intensifying
efforts because police were getting
closer to uncovering their crimes.
Vearey told Weekend Argus he
had over the years investigated sev-
eral top gangsters, including from
the 26s and 28s, inside and outside
prison.
About six years ago it emerged
gang leaders unhappy about these
investigations had conspired to
either kill him or discredit him. He
had confronted several gang leaders
about this.
Vearey said some gangsters mis-
takenly thought he was targeting
only their gang, while others were
under the impression he wanted
revenge for a cousin he’d witnessed
being murdered in 1979.
R16.50 incl vatSATURDAY EDITION
APRIL 16 2016
SAtakesitstoystobed
BETHANY AO
SOUTH Africans are vibrating with
curiosity about sex toys, according to
a study released by the Statistic Brain
Research Institute. The country came
in third globally for the highest num-
ber of Google searches for sex toys,
trailing the US and the UK.
Why the sudden interest in spicing
up the bedroom with adult novelty
products?
Sexologists and sex shop owners
cite a number of reasons for the
expanding sex toy market, including
female empowerment in the bedroom
and the availability of high-quality
sex toys, many of which can be used
by both partners.
Adult World chief executive
Arthur Kalamaris said a big con-
tributing factor to the spiking interest
was the open-mindedness of the
female population.
“The whole marketplace is chang-
ing, with 55 percent of our sex toy
sales to women. It used to be male-
dominated, like the man would go
into the store and pick out a sex toy,
but that’s completely shifted,” he said.
Other sex shop owners also said
women were becoming more com-
fortable with introducing toys into
their sex lives, taking charge of their
own pleasure.
“Sex should be fun. Lots of people
don’t know that. Some women still see
it as an obligation and that’s not how
it should be,” said Sari Cohen, owner
of Cape Town’s Allure Sensuality
Emporium.
Cohen sees customers of all ages
and from all different backgrounds.
She offers a senior discount and fre-
quently attends events and parties to
educate curious potential buyers. Her
stockroom is filled with high-quality
products that range in price from
R350 to more than R3 000.
“I love sex toys so much because
they help women learn about them-
selves and their bodies,” she said. “If
they are used with consent and
women are opening their minds to the
possibility of pleasure, that’s really
empowering and important. It means
that they are ready to love themselves
and embrace themselves.”
However, Cohen also sees women
who buy sex toys but hide them from
their partners. “It makes me sad to
Topcop‘onMEC,gangs’hitlist’
Trains burn, bullets fly
– Report, pictures, page 3
Vearey claims Plato and crime bosses are smearing his name
To page 2
‘FORCING MY HAND’: Jeremy Vearey.‘BE CAREFUL’: Dan Plato.
ARSON: Flames erupt at Esplanade Station in Woodstock last night after two train carriages were set alight. At Cape Town Station, police fired rubber bullets at commuters angry about delays. Metrorail has declared that it is under siege. PICTURE: JASON BOUD
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