/ 24 September 2013

We are studying Mdluli judgment, says police

We Are Studying Mdluli Judgment, Says Police

"All I can say is that we are studying the judgment," Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale said on Tuesday.

He declined to comment on a report published in the New Age, which stated that police intended to appeal the court ruling. The paper quoted an unnamed source who they claimed was "highly placed".

"The matter is definitely going to the Supreme Court of Appeals and it could end up in the Constitutional Court if that's what it takes to achieve the desirable results," the source was quoted as saying.

The court ruled on Monday that all fraud and corruption charges levelled against Mdluli be reinstated and that national police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, take steps to reinstate disciplinary charges against him.

Judge John Murphy set aside a decision made last year to reinstate Mdluli as head of criminal intelligence.

Disciplinary charges
He also turned around the case surrounding Oupa Ramogibe. Ramogibe, who married Mdluli's ex-lover, was killed in 1999. His family suspected that Mdluli was behind his death but Mdluli was cleared of any involvement and the case was sent for inquest instead of prosecution.

Murphy said this was dubious and he set the decision aside. "There are affidavits from seven witnesses who personally witnessed Mdluli threatening to kill Ramogibe, or threatening and assaulting other people," said Murphy. "This evidence presents a compelling prima facie case against Mdluli."

The application for a review and the setting aside of the decision to withdraw criminal and disciplinary charges against Mdluli was brought by lobby group Freedom Under Law. – Sapa