JOHANNESBURG — President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed South Africa’s national police commissioner on suspension following criminal charges tied to alleged corruption involving a multimillion-dollar government contract.
Commissioner Fannie Masemola made his initial court appearance Tuesday and is scheduled to return for proceedings along with 12 other high-ranking police officials facing accusations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering. The charges stem from allegations that a contract was improperly given to a domestic company. Masemola’s specific charges relate to his role as the financial oversight officer for the police department.
During a Thursday news conference, President Ramaphosa announced that Puleng Dimpane, who oversees financial management within the police service, would serve as interim police commissioner during Masemola’s legal proceedings.
“I have agreed with General Masemola that he be deemed to be on precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the case,” Ramaphosa said.
The suspension comes after extensive corruption accusations within South Africa’s law enforcement and judicial systems were exposed through an investigative commission that Ramaphosa established in the previous year.
Masemola is charged with four violations of the Public Finance Management Act, legislation that governs how the government awards contracts, in connection with a 360 million-rand ($21 million) agreement for providing health and wellness services to police personnel. Authorities allege that certain officers accepted kickbacks from the companies that won the bidding process.
