Former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride said the Crime Intelligence slush fund has always been abused by the unit to control politicians and generals.

He said the multi-million-rand fund is used by Crime Intelligence to do anything from paying off politicians to paying for a particular criminal investigation to disappear.

McBride was providing evidence before the Parliament Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption on Wednesday before concluding his testimony.

McBride said the fight over the control of the Crime Intelligence slush fund millions is all about control.

He said at no point was the fund never not abused.

“The scramble is for control of that - you control people, you control other policemen, you control generals, you control politicians with that.”

He said the fund should not be used to buy properties and buildings, but rather to protect sources or to set up what he calls “blind companies”.

McBride was referring to how Crime Intelligence spent R22.7 million from secret funds on a boutique luxury hotel in Pretoria, sparking outrage.

“You also don’t buy buildings because what if your agent gets blown? What are you going to sell the whole building?”

But McBride said that he doesn’t have any evidence linking the current head of Crime Intelligence, Dumisani Khumalo, of abusing secret funds.

*This article was first published by Eye Witness News