Police commissioner Sitole’s woes worsen as he faces another charge

National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole faces an additional fraud and corruption charge laid by the Independent Police Investigative Authority (Ipid).

Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa on Friday said the police boss now faces two criminal cases.

“Since these two matters are of a criminal nature, we might at some point see ourselves in the courts over this, we won’t discuss these further as they are sub judice,” she said.

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The troubled police boss was charged for alleged refusal to cooperate in the Ipid’s probe of the killing of Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear.  Ipid Executive Director Jennifer Dikeledi Ntlatseng wrote to Police Minister Bheki Cele, requesting his intervention in the matter after Sitole allegedly avoided attempts by Ipid investigators to interview him in 2021.

Kinnear had in 2018 sent a memorandum to police management, including Sitole, alerting them that his life was in danger and needed protection. According to an Ipid investigation, Kinnear and some of his colleagues were targeted by criminals, but nothing was done by the top bosses.

The other charge of fraud and corruption was in connection with SAPS business dealings with an American software company called Brainware. According to EWN, a R45 million payment earmarked by crime intelligence for the purchase of a listening device called a “grabber” never went ahead after questions were raised.

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The spy equipment was reportedly designated for use at the highly contested 2017 Nasrec ANC conference to try sway votes.

Sitole failed to provide the documents requested by Ipid and instead claimed that the documents were classified. Ipid is yet to receive the documents despite a high court order instructing him to make the documentation available.

On Thursday, Sitole denied that he refused to cooperate with Ipid on the Kinnear probe.

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