Petros 'too busy' for Mdluli plot

2012-05-02 14:46

Meggan Saville and Jenni Evans

Pretoria - Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros is too busy to be part of a conspiracy to oust crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli, he said on Wednesday.

"There is too much crime in Gauteng. When you get involved in a conspiracy, you need time.... I have my hands full," he told a National Press Club briefing in Pretoria.

Petros, who spoke earlier about the importance of restoring public perceptions of police integrity, said he could not comment on Mdluli's reinstatement after fraud, corruption, and murder charges against him were dropped.

Facts

"When you are a general in the police you have to stick to facts and have limited opinions up until you take the uniform off, then you can formulate your own opinions.

"You can be highly opinionated, but at the end of the day, when you are still wearing the uniform you confine yourself to what is on your plate."

He said that the police, like civilians, should be innocent until proven guilty in the courts.

"[B]ut one would have loved to have seen these processes being followed to their logical conclusion."

Mdluli reportedly claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy to have him removed from office.

According to IOL, Mdluli wrote to President Jacob Zuma, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, claiming that he was the victim of conspiracies by police top brass who wanted him out because he was seen to be a "Zuma man".

He reportedly named suspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele, Petros, head of crime detection Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya and Hawks head Lieutenant General Anwa Dramat as the officers who had conspired to have him removed.

Accusations

According to reports by City Press, accusations against Mdluli include defrauding crime intelligence to buy two new BMWs for himself and his wife, appointing several family members as secret agents, and the unauthorised use of safe houses for his personal benefit.

Last week, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said she would hold off probing allegations of abuse of state funds against Mdluli, as the Inspector General of Intelligence was looking into the matter.

Mdluli had faced fraud and corruption charges, and murder charges.

Criminal charges relating to the murder in 1999 of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend Oupa Ramogibe were recently withdrawn against Mdluli, court orderly Samuel Dlomo, Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, and Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi.

An inquest is being held into the death.

The fraud and corruption charges, as reported by City Press, relating to improper use of crime intelligence money, were also dropped.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach, who was working on the Mdluli case, has been suspended.

She was regional head of the NPA in Gauteng's specialised commercial crime unit.

However, the NPA has said there is no link between her suspension and the Mdluli matter.

- SAPA