Ipid investigator who accused McBride of dirty tricks suspended

Robert McBride

Robert McBride

Published Jun 10, 2018

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A senior investigator at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) claims he has been suspended for blowing the whistle on a dirty tricks campaign waged by his boss, Robert McBride.

Ipid senior investigator Cedric Nkabinde was suspended on Monday after he had written a letter to Police Minister Bheki Cele in April detailing unethical activity at the directorate.

Nkabinde claimed that McBride instructed him and other Ipid investigators to “target and push out” former acting police commissioners Khomotso Phahlane, Lesetja Mothiba and the present commissioner, General Khehla Sitole.

He alleged that McBride wanted the commissioner’s position for himself and had waged a dirty tricks campaign to scupper those in the running for the post.

In the letter, Nkabinde claimed that his suspension was a way of silencing him, which was contrary to the Protected Disclosures Act to protect whistle-blowers.

In Nkabinde’s letter of suspension, which Independent Media has seen, the grounds for it were:

*Leakage of information to external people and/or media.

*Compromising investigations conducted by Ipid.

*Bringing the name of Ipid, its executive director (McBride) and other senior managers into disrepute.

*Prejudicing the administration, discipline or efficiency of a department office or institutions of the state.

Cele declined to comment, saying it was an internal matter that his ministry was dealing with.

Weekend Argus

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