Taxpayers to fork out R1.3m for Cele salary

And millions more for his legal bills - Not forgetting the huge sums of our money spent on Selebi's and McBride's costs

South African taxpayers will spend at least R1.3 million a year on suspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele’s salary, according to reports.

Police spokesman Colonel Tummi Shai said the current salary of the police commissioner was between R1.3 million and R1.5 million a  year, the Sunday Tribune reported.

Taxpayers were also expected to fork out millions more on Cele’s legal fees.

Cele was suspended on October 24, on full pay, for his alleged role in the procurement of two police leases worth R1.6 billion.

Taxpayers have already spent more than R30 million on the legal costs for former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi and former Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride, according to the report.

Selebi was convicted of taking bribes from drug dealers in July 2010 after being suspended between February 2008 and July 2009.

McBride was convicted of drunk driving in April this year after being arrested in December 2006. He was dismissed in September 2008.

Selebi and McBride are both appealing.

Meanwhile, the board of inquiry into the leases was taking formative steps, with the three-memeber board meeting to receive important documents on November 9, the Sunday Tribune reported.