SAPS corruption claims: Investigators gathering evidence at police headquarters

JOHANNESBURG - Investigators have been gathering evidence at the country’s police headquarters in Pretoria.

This followed a series of damning allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi two weeks ago.

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Mkhwanazi broke rank, accusing police top brass of colluding to disband the KZN political killings task team and further claiming Gauteng police and members of justice cluster have been captured by a drug syndicate in the province.

Members of the KZN political killings task team are continuing with their work, despite a commission of inquiry being established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to probe serious allegations against police officials and members of the justice cluster in Gauteng.

EWN has reliably learned that members of the task team were deployed to South African Police Service (SAPS)’s headquarters in Pretoria to gather evidence on Tuesday afternoon.

The police head office remains a focal point following allegations that 121 dockets that the KZN political killings task team were investigating were handed over to Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Shadrack Sibiya.

Sibiya was placed on special leave on Tuesday by National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola.

On Sunday, Ramaphosa established a judicial commission of inquiry, set to begin in in August, to probe Mkhwanazi’s allegations.

“The commission will have the power to refer matters for immediate criminal investigation and urgent decisions on prosecution, taking into account the nature of the allegations and evidence the commission will uncover.”

Police insiders have raised concerns over a parallel investigation being launched prior to the findings and recommendations made by the commission.