Police Crime Intelligence Unit raids public protector offices
Alex Eliseev | 03 Mar 2011
A Police Crime Intelligence Unit has raided the offices of the public protector just days after it released a damning report into a R500 million property deal involving National Commissioner General Bheki Cele. The raid took place on Wednesday.
Eyewitness News understands officers were searching for documents relating to the report.
Cele’s office has condemned the raid saying it did not authorise it and will take urgent steps against those involved.
“We strongly condemn the raid on the Public Protector’s office, it was not sanctioned by
management of the Saps (South African Police Service). Appropriate steps will be taken against those who conducted the raid and against the person, or people, who sanctioned the raid,” said the police’s McIntosh Polela.
Just days ago, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released her report into the controversial R500 million deal. She found that the deal, which included Cele, the Department of Public Works and businessman Roux Shabangu, was "fatally flawed".
While she found that no crime had taken place, she called for the national Treasury to investigate further and for action to be taken against those involved.
Cele had asked for certain information from the public protector but was not given access. It remains to be seen if those documents are amongst those seized in the raid.
The public protector’s office said it would release a response to the raid soon.
Meanwhile, Cabinet said during its briefing on Thursday that it was not aware of the raid.
Government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi also reiterated that he would not answer questions about Presidency Minister Trevor Manuel’s scathing letter to him.
In the letter, which was published on Wednesday, Manuel accused Manyi of being guilty of apartheid thinking for saying there was an over-concentration of Coloureds in the Western Cape.
He also called him a racist and a tribalist.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions said the comments draw Manyi’s suitability for the post into question.
Manyi has remained defiant.
“I can tell you right now, Cabinet did not discuss that matter. So I will not be responding to questions on that. Yesterday I responded saying I have no comment on the matter and I will continue to have no comment on the matter,” he said.
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