Ex-deputy national police
commissioner’s corruption case postponed
by Nomahlubi Jordaan, October 28 2014, 08:24
Hamilton MthuthuzeliHlela was called to testify. Picture: ALON SKUY/THE
TIMES
The corruption case against former deputy national police commissioner
Hamilton Hlela has been postponed to next month.
Hlela, 59, briefly appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on
Friday. The case was postponed at his request so that he can submit certain
representations to the state.
The state alleges that Mr Hlela, who is now retired, accepted kickbacks
including flight tickets, accommodation and payment of school and university
fees for his children in exchange for awarding tenders during his tenure as
head of the procurement department of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
As chairman of the SAPS’s bid adjudication committee, Hlela is alleged
between 2008 and 2009 to have approved several bids, including for a
R920-million terrestrial trunked radio (Tetra) system for the new 10111
emergency call centre in Schauderville, Port Elizabeth. The tender was awarded
to Integcomm, a subsidiary of Midway Two Contractors, the company the state
alleges provided kickbacks to Mr Hlela and his family. These included R6 000
allegedly paid into the bank account of a Pretoria high school one of Mr
Hlela’s sons attended and R18 200 allegedly paid to the Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University to cover the fees of another of his sons.
