<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the nation\u2019s police chief, days after he appeared in court in connection with an allegedly fraudulent procurement tender.<\/p>\n
Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has been placed on precautionary leave pending the conclusion of his case, Ramaphosa said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He named Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane as acting commissioner.<\/p>\n
Watch: Ramaphosa addresses the media<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is understandably a cause of great concern for all South Africans that the National Commissioner of Police is in court facing the charges that he\u2019s facing,\u201d Ramaphosa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we should not allow the development such as this to weaken our determination or diminish our ability to fight crime and corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
Masemola appeared in court on 21 April in a matter related to an irregular health-services contract valued at R360 million.<\/p>\n
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He faces charges of breaching the nation\u2019s Public Finance Management Act.<\/p>\n
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Police chief Masemola faces criminal charges<\/p>\n
The commissioner is scheduled to be back in court on 13 May alongside 12 other police officials and businessman Vusimuzi \u2018Cat\u2019 Matlala, who face charges including corruption.<\/p>\n
Matlala, who has been accused of attempted murder and money laundering in a separate case, has been implicated by multiple witnesses in an ongoing judicial inquiry into alleged graft within the South African Police Service (SAPS).<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa\u2019s decision on Masemola comes less than a year after he suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and set up a commission to investigate allegations that he interfered with a probe into political assassinations.<\/p>\n
Mchunu has denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
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The commission was established after the claims hardened concern that the nation, which suffers from chronic crime, has yet to root out the corruption that flourished during Jacob Zuma\u2019s nine-year rule. Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma as president in 2018.<\/p>\n
Dimpane has served as chief financial officer of the SAPS since 2018, according to its\u00a0website.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am confident that she has the qualities and the standing necessary to provide effective leadership to the South African Police Service during this challenging period,\u201d Ramaphosa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like the legal process to take its course,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n
#Ramaphosa #suspends #chief #police<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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