South Africa prosecutors drop case against suspended police chief
Fannie Masemola had denied the charges of failing to provide oversight of a controversial health contract.
South African prosecutors drop case against suspended police chief
Fannie Masemola will still have to appear in court for the charges to be formally withdrawn
South African prosecutors have abandoned criminal charges against the country’s suspended police chief after deciding there was not enough evidence to obtain a conviction.
General Fannie Masemola was charged in April with failing in his duties to provide proper oversight in his role after a health contract became the focus of a criminal investigation. He denied the allegations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa later placed him on precautionary suspension while the criminal case was ongoing.
After reviewing the matter, state prosecutors said on Tuesday they were satisfied there were "no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution" against Masemola.
Masemola, 62, was accused of failing to act on fraud warnings linked to the awarding of a controversial $21m (£15.5m) health tender that was later cancelled.
A dozen senior police officers have since been formally charged over their involvement in awarding the contract to provide health service to the police. The allegations surfaced during a national inquiry into allegedly widespread corruption involving police officers and politicians.
Andy Mothibi, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), on Tuesday ordered the charges against Masemola to be withdrawn after examining evidence collected by the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).
Mothibi said it was not in the public interest to pursue a case without sufficient evidence.
Prosecutors will look into the circumstances behind the decision to prosecute Masemola to determine whether there was any misconduct in the assessment of the evidence and the application of the law, Mothibi said.
Masemola will still need to appear in court for the charges to be formally withdrawn.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia welcomed the prosecutor’s decision and said Masemola and the president would meet over what happens next.
There has still been no announcement from the presidency confirming his return to office.
The allegations surrounding the health contract tender were raised at an inquiry, known as the Madlanga Commission, established by President Ramaphosa last September to investigate corruption in the police force.
The commission was triggered by startling allegations made last year by Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, a provincial police chief, that organised crime groups had infiltrated the upper levels of government.
Masemola is the third police chief to face a criminal investigation while in office.
Jackie Selebi, the country’s longest-serving police boss, was sentenced in 2010 to 15 years in prison after being convicted of taking bribes from an Italian drug lord, Glen Agliotti, in return for turning a blind eye to his criminal activity.
In 2017, Khomotso Phahlane was charged with corruption. Those charges were withdrawn the following year, but he was arrested again on similar charges in 2019 - which he denies.