Cele going to court

INL SA

Bheki Cele

Axed police commissioner Bheki Cele today said he wanted the court to declare retired judge Jake Moloi's report factually and legally unsound.

"I am going to court because I want the President Jacob Zuma to clarify which specific findings of the Moloi report he upheld and relied on to arrive at his decision to fire me ," Cele told reporters in Pretoria.

"The only conclusion I could draw after reading the report is that someone must have prevailed upon justice Jake Moloi to make sure that he returns a recommendation that I be fired, at whatever cost."

Cele said he would file an application in the High Court in Pretoria before the end of the week.

He would also lodge a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) against Moloi at the end of the review process.

"He Moloi was very hostile towards me," said Cele.

"I felt humiliated and abused," he said referring to the board of inquiry hearings.

He said it was strange that Moloi's report found him unfit for the job of police commissioner, though his performance in crime fighting exceeded that of all his predecessors.

Cele said he would also ask the court to deal with the aspect of Moloi's report that recommended that a criminal investigation be opened against him.

"The application... will lay bare the monumental errors of fact, logic and law that litter this report," he said.

"I took great comfort in the fact that... the board of inquiry was going to conduct its work in the open.... Little did I know how misplaced my faith was in the integrity of Justice Jake Moloi," said Cele.

He said if the court found Moloi's report to be flawed it would mean that Zuma's decision to fire him was invalid and unlawful.

"I hope that this is a risk that the president's advisors considered at length, and took out adequate insurance cover on before deciding to advise him to fire me."

Despite Cele asking the court to review Zuma's decision to fire him, he said his relationship with the president was excellent.

"The root of the relationship is long; 25 years," he said.

Regarding his relationship with Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Cele said he had nothing to say to him and had not been contacted by him.

He would not elaborate on why he would not talk to Mthethwa.

When asked what he would do next, Cele said he was going to KwaZulu-Natal to relax and think.

However, he did not rule out going back into politics.

"I love politics and politics loves me," he said.

"I would not be surprised if I go back to the active political life."

Cele said he would never abandon the ANC.

Sapa