A formal investigation into possible disciplinary steps against the Western Cape regional director of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) will get under way next week.
The probe to determine whether internal disciplinary action should be taken against Riaz Saloojee is scheduled to begin on Monday and comes after eight staffers at the police watchdog filed grievances in February.
The ICD’s national head office is also considering laying criminal charges against dismissed Western Cape investigator Mohammad Cloete for masquerading as an ICD official.
National spokesperson Steve Mabona said Cloete was allegedly still taking complaints from unsuspecting community members. He has appealed to members of the public to report these cases to the police.
The ICD dismissed Cloete in October 2001 for serious misconduct. The charges against him included misrepresentation of academic qualifications and employment history, refusal to complete a security clearance form for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), misuse of a government vehicle and committing “unbecoming acts” in said vehicle.
Cloete’s shadowy background and appointment as a senior investigator are among the grievances filed by the Western Cape ICD staff against Saloojee.
The grievances were filed through the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union. Among them are claims that Saloojee had not implemented policies on official transport and had failed to resolve a racial incident among staff satisfactorily.
Saloojee was also accused of favouritism, having an autocratic management style, failing to keep staff informed of his whereabouts and bringing the office into disrepute.
The complainants also requested that Saloojee be transferred pending the outcome of any possible action.
Saloojee has dismissed the grievances, saying they were lodged in bad faith.
“They are untrue, defamatory and unsubstantiated generalisations that date back to 1997,” he said. “In my opinion this is part of a concerted campaign led by old-order power-hungry elements. This is their response to my unveiling their inefficiencies.”
Saloojee said he would cooperate with the investigation.
The formal probe under public service and administration procedures came after an ICD national staffer visited the Western Cape regional office in May and found there was sufficient reason to order a formal investigation.