For almost three months SAPS Crime Intelligence (CI) head Peter Jacobs attempted to challenge a notice that he – along with five senior colleagues – was being suspended for suspected personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud from the Secret Service Account. Jacobs was handed a suspension notice on 30 November 2020.
The CI head wrote lengthy communications to national police commissioner Khehla Sitole challenging the decision and setting out that he was being targeted as a result of his clean-up of the unholy mess at Crime Intelligence and because he was investigating senior officers.
“Credible evidence was available that the Account was looted by a number of CFOs and or Divisional Commissioners and other Senior Crime Intelligence Officers,” said Jacobs in a 42-page searing document contextualising what he found in the division when he took the helm in March 2018.
Crime intelligence bosses lose bids to have suspensions overturned 09 January 2021 - 20:17 Crime intelligence boss Lt Gen Peter Jacobs and five other suspects of a PPE fraud investigation challenged their suspension by police commissioner General Kehla Sitole. Image: Phill Magakoe
National crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Peter Jacobs and five other senior crime intelligence officers will have to foot their legal bills after they lost a high court bid to have their suspensions overturned.
Jacobs, Brig Albo Lombard, Col Isaac Walljee, Col Manogaran Gopal, Maj-Gen Maperemisa Lekalakala, and Col Bale Matamela were all suspended between December 8 and 10 after allegations by the inspector-general of Intelligence of abuse of the secret service account to fraudulently procure personal protective equipment last year.
Acting Judge Jacques Minnaar found on 8 January 2021 that National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole was not only entitled to act against Jacobs and his fellow officers, he “is obliged to do so by law”.
Jacobs, as well as other top CI officials, Brigadier Albo Lombard, section head: intelligence planning and monitoring; Colonel Isaac Walljee, acting section head: supply chain management; Colonel Manogaran Gopal, section commander: vehicle fleet management and asset management secret services account: supply chain management; Major General Maperemisa Lekalakala, acting component head and CFO secret services account; Colonel Bale Matamela, section commander: procurement secret services account were all suspended by Sitole between 30 November and early December 2020.
Thus the application by Jacobs, argued Sitole, was not urgent “and any urgency is self-created”.
Sitole said that “proper safeguards are in place in the interim and the day-to-day functioning of the Crime Intelligence Division has not been compromised in any way”.
Jacobs and his fellow officers were on a “precautionary” and not “punitive” suspension, said Sitole, pending the finalisation of an investigation into alleged illegal Covid-19 PPE purchases by the division, using the Secret Service Account.
They also had other remedies at their disposal apart from approaching the high court, added Sitole.
They could turn to the Labour Court, he said, or “assist in the investigation by cooperating with Lieutenant-General [Francinah] Vuma so as to clear their names and assist in the efforts to root out corruption within the SAPS”.
SAPS Crime Intelligence head, Lieutenant General Peter Jacobs and five fellow officers from the division are seeking an urgent intervention from the Pretoria High Court to declare their suspensions by National Commissioner Khehla Sitole unlawful.
Jacobs was the first to be served with a notice of suspension on 30 November, while fellow officers were notified on 10 December 2020.
“Credible evidence was available that the Account was looted by a number of CFOs and or Divisional Commissioners and other Senior Crime Intelligence Officers,” said Jacobs in his 42-page searing document, setting out what he found in the division when he took the helm in March 2018.