Police portfolio welcomes fast-tracking of state-capture investigations

02 September 2018 - 10:53
By Nico Gous
 Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya.
Image: Simon Mathebula Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya.

Parliament’s police portfolio committee on Sunday welcomed the announcement by Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya that it is going fast-track investigations into allegations of state capture.

Committee chairperson Francois Beukman believes the key to success is strengthening the Hawks’ commercial crime division.

“The DPCI (Hawks) should be at the forefront in dealing with organised commercial crime and serious economic crime investigations.”

Beukman added the Hawks needed resources and expertise to deal with high-profile commercial crime corruption cases.

Head of the Hawks’ anti-corruption unit Major-General Zinhle Mnonopi was suspended on Thursday following allegations made by Mcebisi Jonas at the state capture inquiry that she tried to force him to sign a false statement to halt a police investigation into the Guptas.

Lebeya‚ who was appointed in June‚ said he had put together a team to track evidence given at the inquiry and would take action against officers implicated.