TMPD suspends fraud accused officer
Pretoria - Senior Tshwane metro police officer,
Johanna “Trish” Armstrong, who is being investigated for fraud, has been issued
with a letter of intention to suspend her, Tshwane metro police said on
Thursday.
“She has 48 hours to explain why she should not be
suspended and we will take it from there,” said Senior Superintendent Isaac
Mahamba.
“When she was served with the letter she was
arrogant and said this is nonsense and that she won't stand for that.”
Mahamba said the city was investigating Armstrong,
the director of research and resource development, for allegedly forging
documents to obtain her position, which she has held since May 2013.
“We are aware of those allegations levelled against
Trish Armstrong and we are investigating them,” he said.
“Once the internal investigation has been concluded
we will be in a position to comment further.”
Armstrong could not immediately be reached for
comment on Thursday.
Mahamba said that when Armstrong was given the
letter, she was told to bring a representative with when she appeared before
management in two days time.
“She said her rep was the provincial commissioner,
and she asked how was she supposed to get hold of him in 48 hours. We don't
know who she was referring to,” he said.
Armstrong, 48, was appointed director of research
and resource development at the city in May last year with an annual salary
package of R704 650.
According to her job description, she is
responsible for managing and overseeing research and development, by-law
co-ordination and management, firearm management, employee wellness services,
and civilian and internal affairs.
She is accused of forging her traffic diploma and
SAPS training certificate, apparently a prerequisite to become a metro police
officer.
The certificate is awarded to members trained in
management and leadership, the regulatory framework for metropolitan police,
the Road Traffic Act, traffic policing, crime prevention, administrative
procedures, health, fitness, and street survival.
Mahamba declined to divulge further information
about the investigation.
“We cannot give out details of the investigation at
this stage, but we will comment once all procedures are complete, along with
the investigation,” he said.
Four senior TMPD officials handed Sapa copies of
the qualifications and the CV they said Armstrong used to apply for the post.
The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said it
would ask for a meeting with city manager Jason Ngobeni to discuss the issue.
Samwu Tshwane chairman NkhetheniMuthavhi said the
city and metro police had to answer many questions regarding Armstrong's appointment.
“If it is found that indeed her qualifications are
fraudulent, then we will call for her immediate suspension.
“As Samwu we will never allow a situation where
qualified applicants are undermined for people with no qualifications. If they
are not going to take action then we will have to meet in the streets,”
Muthavhi said.
He added that a metro police director should be
someone beyond reproach and called on the city to recoup every cent it had paid
Armstrong in salaries.
In her application for the position, Armstrong
noted on her CV that she had an honours degree from Wits, a B.luris from the
University of Pretoria, a metro police diploma, and was busy with a master's
degree at the University of Liverpool.
On her Facebook page, Armstrong states that she
supports ethical policing. In a post from September 1, she says: “Thank you to
all my brothers and sisters in uniform who serve their communities with honour
and pride. Have a safe week! Don't pay a bribe. Don't take a bribe.”
She had a letter, from the SA Police Service,
stating she completed all training as prescribed by municipal police service
regulations.
The letter was signed by assistant commissioner
in-service training Lt-Gen Lesetja Joel Mothiba, who is now the provincial
commissioner of Gauteng.
She is said to have completed six modules,
including module two, regulatory framework for metropolitan police and module
three, road traffic act and traffic policing.
An officer who spoke to Sapa on condition of
anonymity said these two modules had never been offered by SAPS.
A system search conducted by the SAPS human
resource development division, using Armstrong's identity number, showed she
had no recognised police training certificate.
Questions sent to Gauteng police spokesman Brigadier
Neville Malila about how Mothiba's signature appeared on the paper were not
answered.
Armstrong did not respond to questions sent to her
via e-mail on August 29, to ansms on August 30, and to phone calls on Tuesday
and Wednesday.
Places Armstrong has worked:
Johanna Etresia (“Trish”) Armstrong has worked for
three metro police departments in the country in the past 12 years.
On Thursday, Armstrong, who is being investigated
for fraud, was issued a letter of intention to suspend her.
From July 2009 to 2012, she was with the Nelson
Mandela Bay metropolitan police.
According to an article in the Metro Newspaper on
February 16, 2012, her employment contract was terminated due to “material
breach of her contract”.
The paper reported she was a project director of a
team tasked with establishing the metro police in the city.
Municipal spokesman Kupido Baron told the paper at
the time: “The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has terminated the employment
contract of the project director of the metro police project team, Ms Trish
Armstrong. This is after a material breach of her employment contract
occurred.”
Baron said the municipality expected the highest
ethical standards from its employees.
Armstrong sued her former employer and in September
2012 the Labour Court ordered that the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality pay her
R234 000 for unfair dismissal.
From October 2006 to 2009 she was Ekurhuleni
metropolitan police department's director of operations in Tembisa. She said
her reason for leaving was due to a promotion.
From April 2003 to 2006 she worked for the City of
Tshwane as commander of legal services and left the position when she was
promoted.
Sapa
