A senior police superintendent is living in his office, washing himself in the station’s kitchen and holding staff meetings in his pyjamas, Beeld newspaper reported on Monday.
The station commander of the East Rand Ratanga police station apparently moved into his Heidelberg office after the police stopped paying him R8 000 a month to stay in a guest house.
Beeld, whose reporter visited the police station, said the station commander washed himself in front of his colleagues in the kitchen in the mornings.
He also held meetings in his pyjamas and sent his juniors to buy him food at lunch time.
Johan Bester, chairperson of the Heidelberg Community Forum, said the station commander had been on ”sick leave” the past two weeks.
”Workers could not use the copier machine or the fax machine,” said Bester, apparently because the senior superintendent was recovering from his illness in his office.
The newspaper reported that a lounge suite, mattress, other furniture and boxes full of personal belongings were being stored in the man’s office.
Bester said the station commander was suspended in 2002 after a charge of sexual harassment was laid against him.
He was moved to a Limpopo police office but then returned to the Ratanga police station where he was in charge when the sexual harassment complaint was laid.
Upon his arrival from Limpopo, the police paid about R8 000 per month for him to stay in a guest house to give him time to find a house, said Bester.
”He insisted on a state house even though he does not qualify for one. About two weeks ago, he moved all his household goods to his office and to other police buildings and now he is living there.”
His broken car is reportedly parked outside the police station.
Provincial police spokesperson, Superintendent Eugene Opperman, said that this was an internal matter.
Beeld said Opperman was not aware of the situation until being contacted by the Afrikaans daily.
”It is an internal matter and will be handled internally,” said Opperman, declining to make any further comment. – Sapa