Over nine hundred police charged for aiding escapees, but only 40 fired

Over nine hundred police charged for aiding escapees, but only 40 fired
Saturday, 26 July 2014 12:10

More than 900 police officers were charged in the past three years for helping with escapes, but only 40 of them have been fired, according to Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko.
In a written reply to a parliamentary question, he said 907 police officers had been charged with “aiding an escapee” during the 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years.
Of the 907 charged, 288 were found not guilty, 516 were found guilty and 103 of the cases were withdrawn. Of the 516 found guilty, only 40 were dismissed.
According to the reply, 231 police officers were fined, or counselled (10), or issued with a verbal warning (14), or a written warning (93), or a final written warning (70), or suspended without pay (six), or received a suspended sanction (63) or suspended dismissal (111).
The question was posed by Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard, who criticised what she described as a “complete lack of accountability” in the service for crimes committed by police.

“It is indeed outrageous that aiding escapees, a crime that undermines our criminal justice system in the most fundamental way, has led to virtually no consequences for those involved.” The DA is to call for a full investigation into the matter by Parliament’s police portfolio committee.

This short report is at City Press
The DA’s press statement is at Politicsweb