KZN cop boss to face charges

2009-07-08 16:07

Johannesburg - A police commissioner whose police station has been accused of manipulating crime statistics will be charged with corruption and defeating the ends of justice, the ministry of police said on Wednesday.

It was not yet clear when Director Hariram Badul of the Mountain Rise police station in Pietermaritzburg would be charged, but Minister Nathi Mthethwa's spokesperson said a directive had been sent to the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner's office.

"The minister of police has endorsed the recommendation of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) that charges be laid against the Mountain View police station commissioner," said Hangwani Mulaudzi.

"The endorsement has already been communicated to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner [Hamilton Ngidi] to take further action," he said.

KZN cops unaware of order

On Wednesday afternoon, KwaZulu-Natal police could not confirm receiving correspondence from Mthethwa's office in this regard.

"We haven't received an order as yet... I know that there were allegations in Sunday papers, but I'm not aware of the order at this stage. It probably sits in the commissioner's office so I'm going to have to check," Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said.

Charges against Badul will include defeating the ends of justice and corruption for lowering crime statistics.

The charges to be brought against him follow an ICD investigation into the Pietermaritzburg station, as well as two other police stations in the Western Cape - Paarl and Oudtshoorn police stations.

"The ministry is deeply concerned about the incidence of corruption in the SA Police Service (SAPS)," said Mulaudzi.

He said that dishonesty in the SAPS means theft of resources that belong to the people and government.

- SAPA