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JOHANNESBURG. – The Crimes against the State unit of South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) has swooped on the Riebeek Kasteel guesthouse of investigative journalist Jacques Pauw, armed with a search and seizure warrant.

Pauw, speaking to African News Agency (ANA), said he was “surprised they’ve only arrived now”.

He said the search was requested specifically by State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser, who Pauw implicated in corruption in his bestselling book, The President’s Keepers.

Pauw said a colonel and two captains arrived late on Wednesday afternoon to search for any “confidential information” in his possession.

He said he has contacted his lawyer in Johannesburg: “It will be a long search, its a big place”.

Pauw and his wife, former journalist Sam Rogers, run a guesthouse, The Red Tin Roof, in Riebeek Kasteel about an hour outside Cape Town.

Since his book was published late last year, he has been investigated by the police and had court applications against him.

In December last year, the South African Revenue Services (Sars) filed papers in the Western Cape High Court against him.

Sars accused him of transgressing the Tax Administrations Act by disclosing confidential taxpayers’ information.

At the time, Pauw told ANA that he was astonished when he received the notice of motion, but felt it was an admission that the revelations contained in his book were true: “It is not an attack on the credibility of the book but is confirmation of the credibility of the book”.

An affadavit attached to the motion by Sars boss Tom Moyane quoted from about 15 pages of the book that contravene the act. These include payments made to former President Jacob Zuma and his son Edward Zuma. It also includes Pauw’s revelations about Cape gangster Mark Liffman and others owing Sars hundreds of millions of rand.

Also in December last year, a criminal investigation was instituted against Pauw in Durban. Colonel Reuben Govender, who reportedly has a reputation for intimidating suspects, was the investigating officer. The case was subsequently removed from him, and placed with the provincial head office. – African News Agency/ANA