Former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane arrested for R86m tender
Ipid would not name the suspects on Friday morning, but the case began in November already with five other suspects previously arrested.
Former acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane. Photo: ANA
The embattled former police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane has been arrested following an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation.
He joins another six suspects facing charges in the same case.
In a statement, Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “A Lt-General and a Major-General [were arrested] on allegations of fraud and corruption. The arrests were effected this morning by IPID investigators.
“The arrests relate to procurement irregularities relating to emergency (blue) lights amounting to more than R86 million rand.
“The IPID conducted an investigation and gathered evidence of criminality. The suspects are 51 years and 56 years old, respectively.
“They will appear at the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court.”
It was confirmed that both men were already in court this morning.
Phahlane has previously faced corruption charges, among other things, along with his wife, related to their allegedly accepting “gratifications, discounts and motor vehicles” from a car dealership owner.
In November last year those charges were provisionally withdrawn in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, but can be reinstated.
Phahlane now faces allegations that he and other senior police staff acted improperly in the awarding of a 2016 tender that went to Instrumentation Traffic Law Enforcement, owned by millionaire Vimpie Manthatha.
The other person arrested with him was Major General Ravichandran Pillay, who is the head of the SAPS’s supply chain management department.
Other police officials were arrested last year in connection with the same Ipid investigation.
In 2017 an Ipid raid on several properties, included Phahlane’s personal property, was believed to have yielded some evidence in cases of money laundering and corruption against Phahlane. However, little seemed to come of that in the short term.
At the time, Phahlane said: “They were there looking for any transactions relating to computers and contracts… they have found none of that.”
Phahlane said he was glad the raid happened and he encouraged the investigation to continue so that his name could be cleared.
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