Cape Town - Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer has refused to be drawn on reports that he and three other top provincial officers face charges of corruption and racketeering.
“No comment. No comment. I don’t want to comment on those stories,” Lamoer said on Sunday.
The Sunday Independent, a sister paper to the Cape Times, quoted sources as saying plans were in progress to charge Lamoer, Brigadier Kolindren Govender, Brigadier Sharon Govender and Brigadier Darius van der Ross. Hawks spokesman Paul Ramaloko was quoted as saying they were being investigated in connection with allegations of collusion with drug dealers.
The Hawks also investigated police chief Riah Phiyega following allegations that she had told Lamoer he was to be investigated.
The National Prosecuting Authority said on Sunday she would not be charged with defeating the ends of justice.
The DA’s spokeswoman on police, Dianne Kohler Barnard, said the party would write asking the director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Robert McBride, to brief the parliamentary portfolio committee on police on the investigation into Phiyega, and make public the recommendations he made to the NPA in this regard.
“Given the severity of these allegations and (Phiyega’s) tarnished record, it is essential that Parliament get access to the recommendations made by Ipid and whether the decision not to pursue charges against General Phiyega is rational.”
Kohler Barnard said Phiyega had failed to rectify the resourcing crisis in the police service. Also, no decisive action had been taken against SAPS members found to have criminal records.
NPA spokesman Nathi Mcube said Ipid had investigated the complaint made against Phiyega last year. The docket had been passed first to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Mxolisi Nxasana, and then to the provincial director,
Rodney de Kock, for a decision.
De Kock said on Sunday the matter had been referred back for further investigation. “Once the investigation is done, I will make a decision.”
Cape Times and Sapa