Western Cape police chief Arno Lamoer and three other senior officers in the province has been suspended, South Africa’s national police commissioner Riah Phiyega confirmed today.
“We have already suspended,” Phiyega told journalists on the sidelines of briefing to Parliament’s portfolio committee on police.
Lamoer and brigardiers Darius van der Ross, Kolindren Govender and Logambal Govender were charged with, among others, corruption, money laundering and racketeering on Friday.
“In instances where we are having such situations, there is a very clear protocol in the police. We would notify our members of our intention to suspend to give them an opportunity to respond,” said Phiyega.
The letters were served on the four senior officers over the weekend. They were suspended shortly thereafter.
An internal probe would now be conducted by the SA Police Service.
“We suspend. We investigate and the suspension doesn’t mean any person is guilty. We must still do our own internal investigation because we make a differentiation between a criminal process and an internal process because in the internal process…it looks into internal conduct and our own internal prescripts, so that is what we are doing ,” said Phiyega.
“That will lead us into if there is any prima facie evidence which requires that we undertake an internal disicplinary hearing.”
ANA