Nine current and former Ekurhuleni metro municipality workers and five police officers implicated in the Madlanga commission have been referred to the police for criminal investigation. The commission in its interim report found that there isprima facie evidenceagainst them after their names were mentioned in the commission, which is investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who established the commission last year, welcomed the referral on Thursday.
His spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “President Ramaphosa welcomes the referrals by the commission of matters for immediate criminal investigation and urgent decisions on prosecution, as well as recommendations on the employment status and recommended suspension of individuals.” As a result, Ramaphosa has directed police ministerProf Firoz Cachaliaand national police commissionerGen Fannie Masemolato constitute a special investigations task team, with a leader who will report directly to Masemola. “The task team will institute investigations against people identified by the commission for investigation,” said Magwenya. The task team will have to conduct a criminal investigation to help them to take [the matters] to court.
They will have to produce prima facie evidence to the National Prosecuting Authority and hopefully the task team will be composed of skilful detectives. I think this is the right way to do things Senior researcher and policing expert Johan Burger said the president’s decision to establish a task team was a step towards holding people accountable. “I think this is a good development in holding those named and accused of wrongdoing accountable,” Burger said.
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I think this is the right way to do things.” The suspended deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni metropolitan police department (EMPD) is accused of fitting blue lights to a fleet belonging to alleged drug cartel memberVusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. He is also accused of a cover-up murder of a civilian in April 2022 who was tortured during an investigation.
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