KwaZulu-Natal police have uncovered a shocking SAPS insider scandal involving the erasure of Stuart Scharnick's criminal history. In a recent press briefing, Major General Anthony Gopal revealed that a South African Police Service (SAPS) employee tampered with the national criminal record system, deleting information linked to the controversial businessman. The incident occurred on January 16, 2025, as evidenced by system logs. Gopal assured the public that the deleted records were traced through the system's audit trail, and a forensic investigation is currently underway to hold the employee accountable.
The employee, who lacks a full understanding of the auditing system, inadvertently left traces of the deleted records in the system's back end. Gopal emphasized that the forensic investigation will continue to uncover evidence and ensure the employee's actions are properly addressed. This discovery comes amidst Scharnick's recent legal actions, including a case of defeating the ends of justice against the South African Police Service’s head of Crime Intelligence, Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo.
Scharnick vehemently denies any convictions, stating, 'I have not been convicted of one hijacking in my life.' He further highlights the ease of verifying his records from the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and questions the intelligence of General Khumalo, suggesting a potential cover-up. This incident raises serious questions about the integrity of the criminal record system and the actions of SAPS employees, prompting calls for further investigation and transparency.
