THE board of inquiry into the conduct of suspended national police commissioner General Bheki Cele is set to appeal for Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to intervene to force two senior police officers to give evidence.
Chairman of the board of inquiry, Judge Jake Moloi, yesterday voiced the board's frustration at trying to get hold of acting national police commissioner Major-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in order to appeal to him to get SAPS chief operations officer Lieutenant-General Bonang Mgwenya and KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonye Ngobeni to testify.
Judge Moloi said the board felt it was important for the duo to testify, but attempts to get hold of them had been fruitless.
"Attempts were made earlier to reach them and advise them of the importance of appearing. Mysteriously, none of them are reachable by phone. So, the matter will be taken up with the minister to see to it that they appear before this board," the judge said.
National police spokesman Brigadier Lindela Mashego said Ngobeni and Mgwenya were surprised to hear that they were supposed to have been available to testify before the inquiry.
He said the two were in Cape Town attending a meeting of parliament's portfolio committee on policing, but that they would honour the call to testify.
The board was assembled by President Jacob Zuma after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela uncovered serious maladministration, unlawful and improper conduct by Cele, the SAPS and the Public Works Department in connection with the controversial R1.6-billion police headquarters lease deals entered into with property mogul Roux Shabangu.
Part of the board's mandate is to establish whether Cele acted in a corrupt manner when the two leases where concluded, or if there was any untoward relationship between him and Shabangu.
Shabangu's buildings in Pretoria and Durban had been earmarked for national and provincial police headquarters respectively.
The inquiry hit a snag earlier yesterday and had to adjourn twice to afford the prosecution an opportunity to secure an unidentified witness - but it all came to nought, prompting the chairman to postpone the matter to tomorrow.
When the inquiry resumed for the second time, the prosecution's advocate, Viwe Notshe, said his witness had been interviewed and her statement had been taken, but that when she was on the verge of signing it, union officials came into the office and instructed her not to sign unless she was subpoenaed.
Judge Moloi decided to postpone the matter instead of waiting for the witness to arrive.
Cele inquiry deferred
THE board of inquiry into the conduct of suspended national police commissioner General Bheki Cele is set to appeal for Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to intervene to force two senior police officers to give evidence.
Chairman of the board of inquiry, Judge Jake Moloi, yesterday voiced the board's frustration at trying to get hold of acting national police commissioner Major-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in order to appeal to him to get SAPS chief operations officer Lieutenant-General Bonang Mgwenya and KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonye Ngobeni to testify.
Judge Moloi said the board felt it was important for the duo to testify, but attempts to get hold of them had been fruitless.
"Attempts were made earlier to reach them and advise them of the importance of appearing. Mysteriously, none of them are reachable by phone. So, the matter will be taken up with the minister to see to it that they appear before this board," the judge said.
National police spokesman Brigadier Lindela Mashego said Ngobeni and Mgwenya were surprised to hear that they were supposed to have been available to testify before the inquiry.
He said the two were in Cape Town attending a meeting of parliament's portfolio committee on policing, but that they would honour the call to testify.
The board was assembled by President Jacob Zuma after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela uncovered serious maladministration, unlawful and improper conduct by Cele, the SAPS and the Public Works Department in connection with the controversial R1.6-billion police headquarters lease deals entered into with property mogul Roux Shabangu.
Part of the board's mandate is to establish whether Cele acted in a corrupt manner when the two leases where concluded, or if there was any untoward relationship between him and Shabangu.
Shabangu's buildings in Pretoria and Durban had been earmarked for national and provincial police headquarters respectively.
The inquiry hit a snag earlier yesterday and had to adjourn twice to afford the prosecution an opportunity to secure an unidentified witness - but it all came to nought, prompting the chairman to postpone the matter to tomorrow.
When the inquiry resumed for the second time, the prosecution's advocate, Viwe Notshe, said his witness had been interviewed and her statement had been taken, but that when she was on the verge of signing it, union officials came into the office and instructed her not to sign unless she was subpoenaed.
Judge Moloi decided to postpone the matter instead of waiting for the witness to arrive.
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