Cele needs to answer before Portfolio Committee says DA

By Khanyisa Tabata
14 June 2010

The Democratic Alliance has called for national police commissioner General Bheki Cele to appear before parliament's police portfolio committee, to explain his failure to act on allegations made against Commissioner of Crime Intelligence Richard Mdluli.

The DA's Dianne Kohler-Barnard says she has written to committee chairperson Sindiswa Chikunga, to request Cele meet the committee as soon as possible.

“Mdluli is accused of deliberately neglecting to probe allegations of criminal activity within the police force during his tenure as Deputy Police Commissioner for Gauteng. Most recently, the Public Protector, Thulisile Madonesela, has acted to pressure General Cele to investigate the allegations.

“There are really only two possible reasons that Mdluli did not take up this investigation: either he is incompetent and unable to perform a basic oversight role or he has a vested interest in the Gauteng SAPS not being investigated. These among other questions now need to be put to the General,” said Kohler-Barnard.

She added that outside of Bheki Cele’s failure to act, there is the outstanding question as to why Mdluli was promoted to Police Intelligence Chief in the first place.

"Unfortunately, the fact that Mdluli, who neglected to investigate an abuse of police powers should never have been appointed Intelligence Chief is only part of a larger trend within our police services where the mandated role to serve the public is sorely neglected," Kohler-Barnard argues.