The official reportedly forged documents to collect money in overtime pay for duties he did not perform, reports the Boksburg Advertiser.
The allegations started when anonymous whistleblowers in the EMPD, who were fed up with the alleged wrongdoing, reported the matter to high-ranking municipal officials and the department’s internal affairs division, requesting an investigation be done.
The Advertiser is in possession of some of the documents submitted as evidence that the officer in the EMPD Accident Unit was submitting fake overtime entries.
The accusations stem from a July 2017 accident scene which the accused reportedly claimed he attended to supervise other members who were deployed to perform an accident scene investigation.
The members who attended the scene have, however, made statements indicating that the official in question never actually attended this and other accident scenes he claimed to have attended.
The whistleblowers are concerned that the official in question has not been suspended and feel that the department is not taking the matter seriously.
In fact, the members expected the department to immediately launch a probe into improper overtime practices and suspend the official within a few days after the matter was reported.
“This is a serious issue and we were hoping that the department would act swiftly against the improper behaviour by the official, thereby sending a clear message that corrupt officials stealing from the public will be held accountable regardless of the position they hold in the department,” said one of the sources.
Furthermore, they claim that the city manager and the head of the EMPD were apparently also made aware of the official’s alleged wrongdoing in November.
The Advertiser is waiting for comment.
