A police fraud and corruption investigation into Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel would not impact on his handling of the probe into the death of mining magnate Brett Kebble, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Friday.
”There is nothing at hand to suggest this investigation will in any way impact on all matters on which advocate Nel is working,” said NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.
He said the NPA was aware of the investigation into Nel. ”This is a police investigation,” he said.
He would not reveal how the NPA became aware of the investigation.
The Star reported on Friday that Gauteng’s deputy commissioner, Richard Mdluli, was conducting the probe, which included two charges brought by Nel’s own investigators.
The evidence against him reportedly included his censure by a magistrate, who found he had displayed partisanship to a colleague accused — and later convicted — of sabotaging a multimillion-rand fraud and corruption investigation.
According to the Star, the court found that Nel, who is the regional head of the Scorpions in Gauteng, had made it clear ”that he did not see [or did not want to see] anything wrong with the accused’s conduct”.
Asked on Friday whether Nel had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, Tlali said ”no action” had been taken against him.
”We understand the fact that this is an investigation,” he said.
”An investigation is a process which, by nature and definition, seeks to determine or establish whether or not an allegation or a suspicion can find some form of corroboration, and this is exactly what is happening.
”We will wait for the police to conduct their investigation before pronouncing on any further course of action.”
Tlali would not detail the action that would be taken should Nel be found guilty, nor would he outline the measures normally taken in such a case.
”We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said.
Tlali would also not reveal whether Nel had been required to explain his actions to his superiors.
”As far as we are concerned, this is an investigation which has been conducted by another law-enforcement agency.
”We are not conducting an investigation as we speak,” he said. — Sapa