/ 5 March 2011

Officers suspended for Public Protector raid

The two crime intelligence officers who raided the office of the Public Protector on Wednesday evening have been suspended, the Hawks said on Saturday.

“This has been done in the interest of a thorough and transparent investigation,” spokesperson McIntosh Polela said.

“The two officers have already provided statements to the Saps [SA Police Service] and an investigation is under way.”

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi on Friday said two policemen, a Colonel Maluleka and a Captain Nkuta, had visited the Protector’s offices, on the instructions of a Colonel Heine.

Without official papers backing up their request, they sought a document referred to in a Sunday Times report last week and wanted to know if it had formed part of the Protector’s findings regarding a police lease probe.

Polela asked the media not to speculate on specific issues regarding the investigation and promised that it would be finalised as quickly as possible.

“This will also be done in the interest of fairness to the people implicated,” he said. – Sapa