Johannesburg - Discrepancies in the qualifications of acting head of crime intelligence Maj-Gen Chris Ngcobo is another blunder for police management, the DA said on Tuesday.
“(We are) angered at further revelations that police commissioner Riah Phiyega has once again bungled a major appointment in the SA Police Service (SAPS),” Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement.
“This is the second major Phiyega appointment blunder. The question is: Did it take over a year for those processing his top secret security clearance to discover these discrepancies Ä or has it only now been conveniently revealed?”
Kohler-Barnard said Phiyega had been quoted declaring her support for former intelligence head, whom Ngcobo replaced, Richard Mdluli.
Phiyega put Ngcobo on special leave on Monday.
Phiyega said in a statement: “It is... with a huge sense of disappointment that during a vetting process discrepancies were found between the declaration made by Major-General Chris Ngcobo and official records pertaining to his qualifications.
“Major-General Ngcobo, acting divisional commissioner of crime intelligence, has so far failed to satisfactorily explain the discrepancies.”
Phiyega said Ngcobo's top secret security clearance had been denied.
She had also instructed that criminal investigations and disciplinary action against him be initiated.
Maj-Gen Bongiwe Zulu would assume Ngcobo's role until further notice.
Zulu was currently serving in the human resource development division.
Ngcobo took over the crime intelligence unit after Mdluli was suspended last year amid charges of fraud and corruption, and charges relating to the murder of his ex-lover's husband.
An inquest in November 2012 cleared Mdluli of any involvement in the death of his ex-lover's husband. The charges of fraud and corruption were all later also withdrawn.
In September, the high court ruled that all fraud and corruption charges against Mdluli be reinstated and that Phiyega take steps to reinstate disciplinary charges against him.
The SAPS and National Prosecuting Authority have filed an application for leave to appeal the court order.
Sapa