‘Anti-corruption’ probe to blame for cop’s suspension
By Heidi Bantam
Source: The Herald Online
A POLICE commander who testified before the Jali Commission last year claimed yesterday he had been suspended from his specialised vehicle theft unit to gag him following his discovery of corruption within the department.
Captain Alex Alexander, head of the vehicle identification unit in Newton Park, Port Elizabeth, alleged that more than R300 000 of taxpayers’ money had gone to waste over five years because a request for undercover parking at the Greenbushes vehicle safeguarding unit was never met.
Although about R6 000 has been paid every month, no undercover parking had yet been provided at Greenbushes, Capt Alexander said.
“The police have been paying for a service they haven’t received in five years,” he said.
The lease agreement was apparently approved by the department of public works.
Capt Alexander, who has 17 years in the police, said he had written to the area heads of detective, logistics and management services and the head of the Greenbushes unit six months ago but there had been no feedback . “Someone is eating the money,” he said.
He said he was suspended without pay on Tuesday because of his protests.
A reason given for the suspension was that he had refused to report to the New Brighton police station to work in the charge office, in accordance with the controversial police restructuring plan Resolution 7.
But he claimed the order did not comply with instructions from the national police commissioner.
Capt Alexander said he had several serious misgivings about the Greenbushes impound lot. “Vehicles and parts have been stolen out of the pound, but the police are trying to cover it up.”
Capt Alexander was involved in the investigation against convicted policeman Godfrey Grootboom, who is serving nine years of an 18-year sentence for car theft. He was also recently involved in investigating Grootboom’s lover, Inspector Carmen van Rensburg of the Humewood police, on similar charges.
Police spokesman Superintendent Johann van Greunen would not comment on the allegations.
