Police committee slams involvement of senior cops in crime

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police has condemned the participation of senior police officers in criminal activities and says the fight against crime can only be won if led by a credible and corruption-free South African Police Service (SAPS).

The committee noted that over the past week several current senior and former senior SAPS officials had been subjected to court processes in the country. Some had pleaded guilty on corruption-related charges‚ others were sentenced to long prison terms while others must still offer their pleas in the related court cases.

The committee’s chairperson‚ Francois Beukman‚ said the committee condemned any act of criminality by SAPS members‚ more so those committed by senior SAPS officials.

“Senior officers must lead by example in the fight against crime‚” Beukman said‚ adding that the committee welcomed efforts by the criminal justice system to root out the criminal conduct by SAPS members.

Beukman said that ongoing lifestyle audits of senior officers‚ strict implementation of the NDP’s recommendations on recruitment and promotions‚ and concerted operations by IPID in relation to systemic corruption in SAPS were essential to deal with criminal conduct by police officers.

He added that the national commissioner of police must move speedily to reclaim the credibility of the SAPS and ensure that any official suspected of crime was properly investigated and processed accordingly.

"South Africans can only respond positively to the call to fight crime if they have full confidence in the SAPS. The implementation and strengthening of vetting processes will go a long way in ensuring that only officers with integrity remains in the employ of SAPS‚" Beukman said.

He said the the committee would engage with the national commissioner on Wednesday to get a full report on all cases against members of his senior management team and progress towards conclusion.

“The Committee remains convinced that the fight against crime can only be won if led by a credible and corruption free SAPS.”