Khehla Sitole served with suspension notice – report

National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole has been served with a notice of intention to suspend him.

The police commissioner has reportedly been given seven days to respond, eNCA reported on Wednesday evening.

Back in March, The Citizen reported Minister of Police Bheki Cele had sent a request to President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute a probe against Sitole.

Acting Presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale confirmed at the time that Ramaphosa was looking into the matter.

“He [Cele] has sent the request and the president is applying his mind,” Seale told The Citizen at the time.

“I don’t think one is able to put a time to that but the president has to ensure he has sufficient information on the matter before he takes a decision.”

Sitole came under fire following a scathing Pretoria high court ruling in January by Judge Norman Davis, who found the commissioner and two of his deputies had failed in their duties by refusing to provide and declassify documents required by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for its investigations into allegations of fraud and corruption.

The case is reportedly linked to claims involving a money-laundering scheme to illegally access police funds and disburse them to buy votes at the ANC’s national elective conference in 2017.

The allegations also involve claims related to the procurement of a R45 million surveillance device known as a “grabber” that is used to intercept electronic communications.

The police commissioner and his deputies appealed the case but their application was dismissed.

Sitole was appointed to the top position in 2017

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde. Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe.