Police Minister Bheki Cele. (Michele Spatari/AFP)
More evidence of Police Minister Bheki Cele’s alleged unlawful interference in police operational matters has surfaced, suggesting that he spent more than R1.3-million of state money on overseas trips for Interpol conferences he was never invited to attend.
The Mail & Guardian has seen two South African Police Service (SAPS) internal memorandums requesting funding for senior police officers and generals to attend Interpol’s 87th and 89th general assemblies, which were held in November 2018 and November last year in Dubai and Turkey, respectively.
In both memorandums, the SAPS clearly stated that the invitation was received from Interpol’s National Central Bureau for police officers only, and that then national commissioner Khehla Sitole would “head the South African Police Service delegation”.
The internal police documents show that 13 officers attended the Dubai 2018 trip at a cost of R522 164.25, which included the R12 119.84 daily allowance for Sitole’s seven-day stay, and that 11 officers travelled to Turkey at a cost of R813 942.59.
The document, which sought approval from the SAPS acting section commander on financial and administrative corporate services, a Lieutenant Colonel Selepe, stated that Sitole would be accompanied to Turkey by Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga, now national commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Lieutenant General Tebello Constance Mosikili, Major General Joy Motubatsi, Brigadier Difa Nemavhola, a Brigadier Naidoo, and a Colonel Gqoboka.
The Dubai trip also included former crime intelligence head Peter Jacobs and the deputy national commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant General Lebeoana Tsumane, among others.
Cele is under investigation for “unauthorised expenditure” for attending the 2018 and 2021 trips without being invited.
The M&G reported last week that Lieutenant General Francinah Vuma, the deputy national commissioner for asset and legal management, who faces suspension, was heading the investigation into Cele, including the “irregular payment to cover the legal fees of the minister to the value of R5.5-million”.
Cele was accused of dipping into police funds for his personal legal matters.
The memorandum has also called into question the inflated number of police officials who attended the two conferences, thereby ballooning the state’s bill.
According to one insider, the purpose of the meetings was not political. The high-ranking officer with intimate knowledge of Interpol said the only politicians who commonly attend the law enforcement gatherings are those from the host countries, whose main purpose is to welcome delegates and deliver an opening address. “Most countries have a small delegation, we are one of the few, if not the only country which goes with a huge delegation. It’s not necessary.”
Although Cele has maintained that the trips were approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the insider said the president might have been misled into believing that Cele was critical to the police events. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya had not responded to questions from the M&G by the time of publication.
A letter directed to heads of police worldwide and written by Mehmet Aktas, the director general of the Turkish National Police, a copy of which the M&G has seen, invites policing heads to the 89th international Interpol General Assembly held in November 2021.
Aktas states that the general assembly session provides an opportunity to address issues and find ways to develop strategy in combating transnational crimes and discuss bilateral relations related to Interpol’s functions.
Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, would not divulge the reasons given by the minister to the president to motivate his attendance at an internal police assembly. She said Cele’s response to the president was a privileged document between the two senior politicians.
The minister’s involvement in operational matters has been a bone of contention for senior officers in the national police headquarters, with officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying Cele was precluded by the law and the Constitution from being involved in operations.
Sources claim the minister’s alleged meddling resulted in the tumultuous relationship he had with the former national commissioner, Khehla Sitole. The fractured relationship played out in May last year when the minister, in a harshly worded letter, instructed Sitole to reverse senior managerial positions the commissioner had made and briefed the parliamentary portfolio committee about.
“Your disregard for my position as the executive authority of the department of police and relevant regulations is regarded as serious and will not be tolerated,” Cele wrote.
Cele has recently come under fire after a spate of attacks on taverns in Soweto, Mamelodi, Katlehong and Pietermaritizburg by gunmen, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people.
He was also accused of abusing his influence over the police after a verbal exchange with Ian Cameron of civil rights organisation Action Society in Gugulethu led to the latter being accosted and thrown out of the venue by police.
In her protected disclosure, Vuma alleges that Cele and Masemola interfered in the awarding of contracts and the appointment of high-ranking police officials.
In her testimony, dated 6 July, Vuma alleges that after her department awarded a large portion of the RT15 transversal contract for mobile communication services to MTN, Cele told her that the selection of MTN was at the behest of Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale, who he said wanted to fund the Economic Freedom Fighters.
Vuma said tensions rose over the contract after Cele instructed her during a March meeting of the minister and members of executive council to liaise with Mathale and the implementing agent, the Independent Development Trust, to assist the police to roll out its infrastructure development programme.
She has also claimed that Cele took exception to her removing General Dinah Thema Nkosi as audit head because she was not qualified.
Vuma said Cele had tried to influence personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts using Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya, who had given the names of companies allegedly shortlisted by Cele to Lieutenant General Johannes Riet.
Vuma said she received “intimidating messages” about the Jacobs investigation into irregularities in the purchase of PPE from senior police officers, whom she named.
She said she had initiated an investigation into Cele, Jacobs and others over the purchase of a “grabber” interception device at a cost of R120-million without the prerequisite exemption certificate from the justice department and state security.
Spokesperson Themba said, “Minister Cele has studied and responded to the protected disclosure document and has sent his responses to the office of the president.”
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