Cape Town - There seems to be yet more trouble ahead for Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega and the government’s security cluster after a letter written by internal investigations head Robert McBride, in which he accused her of enabling a corrupt environment to thrive or of racketeering, was made public.
Eyewitness News, which obtained a copy of the letter, on Tuesday reported that just two months before he was suspended, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Robert McBride recommended that Phiyega be investigated for corruption and racketeering.
In the letter, addressed to Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, McBride accuses Phiyega of enabling a corrupt environment to thrive because of her failure to act against KwaZulu-Natal Commissioner Mamonye Ngobeni.
Ngobeni has been accused of being involved in a corrupt relationship with politically-connected businessman Thoshan Panday.
McBride was suspended in March for allegedly altering a report into the rendition of five Zimbabwean suspects in 2010, but continued to deny these charges, EWN reported.
“He and two subordinates are accused of changing the report to exonerate senior Hawks officials, but he believes he is being targeted for leading sensitive investigations,” the news service said.
McBride sent the letter to the police minister in January, recommending that Phiyega be suspended to allow Ipid to investigate alleged misconduct as well as several criminal charges against her.
He claimed that Phiyega interfered in high-profile cases involving senior police officers and failed to act against them.
The cases involved corruption amounting to more than R75 million, a R2m bribery scandal, as well as plans to murder police officers tasked with investigating these cases, McBride alleged in his letter.
He said the police commissioner’s conduct might amount to racketeering, because “instead of dealing with allegations of corruption, she rather associated herself with such behaviour”. At best, she was guilty of dereliction of duty but, at worst, she was an active participant by helping to further corrupt activities in the police service, McBride said.
DA shadow minister of police Zakhele Mbhele said it was worrying that McBride’s allegations had not been taken up immediately and investigated at the time his letter reached the minister.
“Yet curiously, the allegations against Mr McBride led to his immediate suspension and a vigorous process to remove him from his position,” Mbhele said.
“It shows that there are different standards for different people under the ANC government when it comes to addressing corruption. Even now, after the findings of the Farlam Commission, the National Police Commissioner is not suspended while the presidential inquiry into her fitness for office is under way.
“Being a useful cadre clearly gives one almost superhuman immunity from accountability.”
Senior SAPS spokesman Brigadier Vish Naidoo could not be reached for comment on Tuesday morning before deadline. Musa Zondi, spokesman for the minister, said the minister’s office had no comment.
Cape Argus