Top cop to be probed for ‘abuse of power’
CAN'T ZUMA GET ANYTHING RIGHT?
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
Acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi faces an
investigation into allegations of improper conduct and abuse of power. This
comes after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela agreed to look into a complaint
lodged by DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard last month.
In a letter to Kohler Barnard dated April 12, Madonsela
wrote that her preliminary assessment had determined “there is a prima facie
case of improper conduct and abuse of power which warrants an investigation”.
The case had been handed to her office’s good governance
and integrity unit for further action.
Mkhwanazi, appointed by President Jacob Zuma in October,
has now become the third police commissioner in a row to face serious
allegations of one form or another.
Disgraced former commissioner Jackie Selebi is serving 15
years in jail after he was convicted of receiving corrupt payments from
convicted drug trafficker Glen Agliotti.
His replacement, General Bheki Cele – appointed by Zuma
in 2009 – is now suspended, pending an inquiry into his fitness for office after
a public protector investigation implicated him in the police’s R1.7 billion
office leasing scandal.
The Mkhwanazi investigation is in response to the DA’s
claim that the general was an “accomplice to a murder case” and had obstructed
justice by “failing to co-operate in the (resulting) investigation”.
He allegedly also failed “to investigate the
misappropriation of millions of rands” from the police’s controversial crime
intelligence division (CID) slush fund.
Kohler Barnard claims to be in possession of nine
affidavits from police officers who attended a meeting addressed by Mkhwanazi on
March 5. There he is alleged to have told fellow officers that he once witnessed
a suspect being shot and killed by the police, but that such incidents were not
always reported.
In one sworn affidavit, an unidentified police officer
alleges: “He (Mkhwanazi) was also involved in a shooting incident, where an
innocent person was killed. He was requested to make a statement, but refused.
He said he’d go to his grave with the information,” unless called to testify
before a commission of inquiry.
Mkhwanazi has said through his spokesman, Lindela
Mashigo, that he would “account to the (public protector’s) probe” if it went
ahead. Mkhwanazi could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
However, the acting commissioner told MPs last week that
he planned to take his accusers to court.
The top cop went on to explain his version of the March 5
conversation with fellow officers.
As an “example”, he recounted how, during his time at the
police task force, his job was to “neutralise threats” posed by dangerous
criminals. He said he would be called to arrest dangerous suspects and would
hand them over – handcuffed – to detectives. “Now, when I walk away, the next
thing I hear gunshots. When I go back to investigate… the very same detective
will tell you this (suspect) was trying to shoot me and I was defending myself.
It’s a serious concern.”
But the police chief did not clarify whether he was
speaking metaphorically or had personally witnessed such shootings. This will
form part of Madonsela’s probe.
The slush fund allegations relate to an internal police
investigation which found that crime intelligence boss, Lieutenant-General
Richard Mdluli, may have plundered the police’s secret fund of up to R5 million
for his and his family’s benefit
Last week Mkhwanazi told MPs he had recently been told by
“powers beyond us” which matters he and his officers may or may not investigate.
He later said he was not implying political interference.
