Announcement on Cele expected

Suspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele. Picture: Sizwe Ndingane

Suspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele. Picture: Sizwe Ndingane

Published Jun 12, 2012

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An announcement on suspended police commissioner Bheki Cele's fate is expected to be made on Tuesday, his spokesman Vuyo Mkhize said.

“I don't know what time it will be, but it will be today,” he said.

It was not clear what time the announcement would be made.

On Monday, Mkhize said Cele would leave his position if Zuma asked him to.

However, if Zuma used the findings of a report by a board of inquiry chaired by Justice Jake Moloi, then Cele would challenge these in court.

The board of inquiry was mandated to establish whether Cele acted corruptly, dishonestly, or with an undeclared conflict of interest in relation to two police lease deals signed with business tycoon Roux Shabangu Ä one for a building in Pretoria, another for a building in Durban.

Mkhize said Cele was “fed up” because he felt Moloi's findings were not legally valid.

The inquiry, which has submitted its report to Zuma, reportedly found that Cele lacked the capacity to execute his official duties efficiently and was not fit to hold office.

It also apparently found that his grave misconduct as national police commissioner and his apparent unlawful conduct further proved that he was unable to hold office.

Evidence reportedly also suggested there was a questionable relationship between Cele and Shabangu.

Last year, Madonsela found that Cele's involvement in deals to acquire police office space was “improper, unlawful, and amounted to maladministration”.

She said that while Cele had not signed the final lease, he had initiated negotiations with Shabangu, and had seemed determined to secure the leases despite warnings against them. - Sapa

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