Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is handling the matter involving the suspensions of crime intelligence boss Peter Jacobs and five other officers of the crucial SAPS unit.
Last week, the high court in Pretoria paved the way for SAPS national commissioner Khehla Sitole to institute disciplinary action against Jacobs and others over allegations of abusing the slush fund to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to the tune of almost R1-million.
Sitole had shrugged off Police Minister Bheki Cele’s instruction that he holds the suspensions in connection with allegations of abuse of the Secret Service Account to purchase PPE.
Last month, Sitole suspended Jacobs and the other officials over the procurement of PPE, a move that did not sit well with Cele.
Have you read: Crime intelligence boss linked to dicey R1m PPE deal
This was after Sunday World reported that the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Setlhomamaru Dintwe, was investigating the dodgy procurement of PPE by the division, which occurred a week after Ramaphosa declared the state of disaster over Covid-19.
Last Friday, the high court in Pretoria dismissed with costs a bid by Jacobs and others to reverse their suspensions, ruling Sitole was the head of crime intelligence and the buck stopped with him when it came to matters of financial and administrative accounting.
It also reminded Cele that his role was to determine national policing policy and “does not extend to the day-to- day employment-related affairs of the SAPS”.
Ramaphosa told Sunday World in an interview on Friday at ANC headquarters in Johannesburg that he was looking into the matter.
Also read: Top spy suspended over PPE deals
“Obviously, I am aware of that, and I am aware of these processes and we are in discussions. Clearly the issue of fighting corruption is a project and a commitment that we have. We have got to root out corruption wherever it occurs. That matter is under discussion,” he said.
Asked about Cele’s conduct, Ramaphosa said: “That is precisely the matter that is being discussed because we’ve got to be all committed to doing the same thing [fighting corruption], as he [Cele] is as well.”
This came as the EFF, which has opened a case of political interference and defeating the ends of justice against Cele, on Friday lodged a complaint to the public protector to investigate if the minister did not violate the executive ethics code in his intervention on the PPE matter. EFF deputy president and chief whip Floyd Shivhambu requested advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane to probe whether Cele did not abuse his power or was guilty of political interference in writing to Sitole instructing the top cop to put in “abeyance” the suspensions of Jacobs and others.
Have you seen: Cele unfazed by a court decision declaring Sitole’s actions as lawful
Shivambu also wants the public protector to investigate “whether minister Cele is linked in any way to the company under investigation by the national commissioner of police following an award of a PPE tender for which Lt-Gen Jacobs is under investigation”.
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