National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele said on Monday that he was not guilty of corruption amid calls for his resignation following a Public Protector report that found him guilty of maladministration and improper conduct.
Cele, addressing a press conference in Pretoria said that while he respected the office of the Public Protector: “I have been subjected to untrue allegations. Where in the public protectors' report does it show that I am corrupt?”
He said that he disputed the findings against him.
On Tuesday in Pretoria, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela initially referred only to “the accounting officer” of the SA Police Service (SAPS) as being guilty of improper conduct.
She later said this was Cele.
She found that the accounting officer of the public works department was also guilty of improper conduct and maladministration.
Madonsela found invalid the lease between the public works department and property tycoon Roux Shabangu.
In her report, titled “Against the Rules”, she asked for a National Treasury review to establish what steps could be taken to terminate the lease.
She said that although Cele did not sign the actual lease, he did sign a memorandum dated May 10 2010, which authorised funding for the lease.
Cele said that he was dependent on people who worked for him. - Sapa