Ipid's poor
conviction record exposed
6
November 2016, 11:35am
Yazeed
Kamaldien
Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko Photo:
Courtney Africa
Cape Town - A number of police officers are getting off lightly
- with just verbal or written warnings - when breaking the law by not
co-operating with investigations against them.
This was recently revealed in Parliament when questions were
asked about the police’s co-operation with the Independent Police Investigative
Directorate (Ipid) when it took up citizens’ complaints against them.
Ipid’s investigations include incidents where citizens died
while in police custody, and corruption or extortion.
DA MP Zak Mbhele asked Police Minister Nathi Nhleko for
statistics on the matter.
Nhleko’s response to Parliament revealed that Ipid opened 41
cases against police officers in 2015/16 for non-cooperation, 60 cases in the
2014/15 financial year, 65 in 2013/14 and 127 in 2012/13 . Oft these 293 cases,
only 32 departmental convictions were finalised, according to Nhleko’s
response. A total of 26 written and six verbal warnings were issued for the
same cases.
The minister’s response did not confirm if there were any
criminal charges or court cases pending against police officers for
non-cooperation.
Mbhele said it was “telling that there was no mention of
criminal charges”.
“It’s completely shocking,” he said. “The majority of cases just
vanish into thin air. Officers faced no real consequences for obstructing Ipid
investigations”.
He said the problem was that Ipid investigators were former
police officers “who don’t want to burn bridges”. The police minister also
appoints the Ipid director.
Mbhele said: “Ipid is too scared to be antagonistic towards the
police. It’s well known in police culture that they try to protect each other.
“It means they can get away with wrongdoing.”
Ipid is meant to conclude investigations into police misconduct
and recommend to the police whether to implement a disciplinary process. It can
also lay criminal charges against police officers with the National Prosecuting
Authority, which takes the matter to court.
* Ipid head Robert McBride has meanwhile been cleared of charges
of amending a report into illegal deportation of Zimbabwean murder suspects in
2010.
State prosecutors withdrew the matter from the Pretoria
Magistrate’s Court after witnesses were reluctant to testify.
The police minister was forced to reappoint McBride after
suspending him in September. The matter went to the Constitutional Court, which
ruled that Nhleko’s suspension of McBride was invalid.
Weekend Argus
