Johannesburg - National police commissioner Riah Phiyega has denied asking SA Police Service (SAPS) members for their support in a probe against her, her spokesman said on Thursday.
Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale disputed a news report on Thursday that Phiyega had distributed an e-mail asking for support as pressure mounted for her to be suspended.
“This e-mail does not say that police officials should support the national commissioner against the Ipid 1/8the Independent Police Investigative Directorate 3/8 investigation,” he said in a statement.
“It was issued long before Ipid decided to investigate the allegations of defeating the ends of justice matter.”
He said the purpose of the e-mail was to tell police members that “these side issues” should not make them lose focus in the fight against crime.
“We communicate to our members directly about a number of issues, including those which appear in the media. Our view is that employees should not find out about such things through the media.”
The Ipid said on Tuesday it would investigate allegations that she allegedly tipped off Western Cape commissioner Lt-Gen Arno Lamoer about an investigation against him by crime intelligence.
In the e-mail, which Makgale included in the statement, Phiyega said there was a plan to “change the SAPS into a professional outfit with committed members who serve the country as outlined in our code of conduct”.
“With each day that goes by, I see the SAPS taking steps forward. It is an uphill battle and the steps are tiny, but they are steps forward nonetheless.”
She said it was time for those keen to see the SAPS achieve its objectives to “stand up 1/8and 3/8 raise their voices against those who want to drag us backwards”.
“I am saying this because it has now emerged that a case of defeating the ends of justice has been opened against me somewhere in the Western Cape,” she wrote in the e-mail.
“Whilst I have not been formally informed of a case, I am aware that the accusation is that I alerted a certain provincial commissioner about an investigation crime intelligence was conducting against him.”
Phiyega criticised the crime intelligence unit.
“Although I do not expect my colleagues to behave in such an underhanded manner whereby they concoct a story and open a case against me, it however comes as no surprise given some of the mischievous activities conducted by crime intelligence in the past,” she said.
“It is clear to me that this is a lame attempt by certain individuals... to discredit me and derail the process of flushing out those within the SAPS who have no integrity and have no interest in taking SAPS forward.”
Sapa