'Fired for being honest'

'Fired for being honest'
KATHARINE CHILD | 23 April, 2014 06:23

Johannesburg Labour Court Judge ordered that the police re-employ Colonel Kobus Roos as an auditor. File photo.
The auditor who revealed that the crime intelligence unit's secret slush fund had allegedly been plundered for years - and was ousted by suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli - has won his job back.


In a victory for whistleblowers, Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Robert la Grange yesterday ordered that the police re-employ Colonel Kobus Roos as an auditor.

Roos said he has spent the last three years at the "unproductive and meaningless post" to which Mdluli had transferred him.

The judge said Mdluli had been "vindictive" towards Roos and it was clear that Roos was persecuted by higher-ups for uncovering corruption.

Judge la Grange also awarded Roos R156250 as compensation.

"We have noted the judgment and we are studying it," said national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega's spokesman, Solomon Makgale.

Roos, who has worked for the police for 27 years, said the legal victory left him "happy and relieved". He said the fraud he uncovered was only the "tip of the iceberg" but that he had not found any evidence that specifically linked Mdluli to fraud.

But Roos did accuse Major-General Solly Lazarus, the service's chief financial officer, and several other police officers, of abusing the slush fund.

Major-General Lazarus is currently suspended on full pay and will appear in court in July on corruption charges. He is also expected to face internal disciplinary action within a fortnight.

DA shadow police minister Dianne Kohler Barnard said unless there was parliamentary oversight on how the slush fund was utilised , it would continue to be looted.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has been accused of using R200000 from the fund to build a wall around his private KwaZulu-Natal home

The Hawks are investigating Mdluli for allegedly using fund money to purchase luxury cars, as well as allegedly hiring relatives into his unit. The NPA dropped all fraud and corruption charges against Mdluli, but last week the Supreme Court of Appeal said the charges should be reinstated.

Institute for Security Studies senior researcher Johan Burger said: "Crime intelligence has been completely dysfunctional since Richard Mdluli was appointed in 2009. There is political interference ."