Arrest of Mgwenya a sign of our position on crime, says police commissioner

Police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khehla Sitole says the law must take its course, following the arrest of one of his deputies, Lieutenant-General Bonang Mgwenya by the Investigating Directorate (ID).

On Monday, Mgwenya appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering. She was granted R20,000 bail.

“My position regarding criminality by members within the ranks of the SAPS has been made clear by the arrest of a multitude of SAPS members by a task team reporting to me on investigations into vehicle-marking-tender fraud as well as our support to the ID in respect of the blue-light-tender fraud investigation”, said Sitole.

Mgwenya, who is the Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Human Resource Management, is now the 13th suspect (nine of whom are police officers) to have been arrested in connection with multi-million rand tender fraud regarding emergency warning equipment (blue lights) for the South African Police services in 2017.

Arrests

Her arrest follows the arrest of former acting National Commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane; former Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Deliwe de Lange, among other generals and senior officers.

The company, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Ltd, is included in the list of accused, represented by its sole Director, Vimpie Manthatha.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the group stand accused of colluding to ensure that the company owned by Manthatha was awarded a contract to install 1 550 police motor vehicles with warning lights at a grossly inflated price. Sitole said justice must prevail.

“We are working hard to clean up law enforcement so that South Africans can be assured that those charged with the responsibility to protect and serve the nation are in fact doing so and not themselves breaking the law,” head of the Investigating Directorate Advocate Hermione Cronje added.

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