Twist in police commissioner’s Louis Vuitton gift saga – report

Police officers probing a case implicating police commissioner General Fannie Masemola in a Louis Vuitton bags scandal have allegedly been promised posts in the higher ranks in the SA Police Service (Saps).

According to City Press, an e-mail seen by the publication alleged the officers were promised top positions in return for scuppering the investigation, which could end the careers of Masemola and other top cops.

Masemola’s Louis Vuitton saga

It was revealed last November that the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate was investigating Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in connection with a tender for bulletproof vests.

In 2016, Masemola and several other senior Saps officials attended a presentation on bulletproof vests by Durban businessperson Inbanatan Kistiah in Germany.

Luxury gifts

Kistiah reportedly gifted the officers with luxury gifts, including Louis Vuitton designer bags, but they failed to declare them as required by Saps policy.

The businessman’s company allegedly received about R6.7 million to provide 200 bulletproof vests for ballistic testing in 2016.

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Kistiah’s company is reportedly facing a number of investigations, including that of trying to sell surveillance devices known as grabbers to Saps for R45 million during the ANC’s elective conference in December 2017.

This week, according to the report, businessman Kishene Chetty wrote to Hawks boss Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya requesting further investigation into the case.

Tip-off

In the e-mail, the businessman reportedly claimed to have received a tip-off that two members of the Directorate investigating the case had struck a deal to scupper the investigation in return for top posts that Masemola would advertise.

The publication on Sunday quoted the e-mail to read: “The source from the Saps human resources [department] indicated that the process is underway and the advertisement will be out anytime from now.

“The source further indicated that all the documentation and paper trail is available at the Saps human resources [department] to substantiate this allegation”

Chetty himself and 22 others – including current and former police officers – are reportedly facing R54 million fraud charges in connection with allegations that he had captured the police’s supply chain management unit to score dodgy contracts to service and repair police vehicles at inflated prices.

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