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Johannesburg - National police commissioner Riah Phiyega may have misled South Africa last year when she said that she had been unaware that Major-General Mondli Zuma had failed to inform her of criminal cases against him at the time of his appointment as Gauteng provincial commissioner, reports the Sunday Independent.
In August last year, Zuma was to have become Gauteng's provincial police commissioner, but was removed hours after being appointed by Phiyega when it emerged that a case of drunk driving was pending against him.
The Sunday Independent reports that it has seen several documents disputing Phiyega’s claims, including a document signed by Zuma disclosing that he had a criminal record and a pending case.
The documents were signed prior to Phiyega appointing him.
However, only eight hours after appointing Zuma to the position Phiyega issued a statement saying that prior to the appointment it was found that Zuma did not have a criminal record nor did he having any pending disciplinary charges against him.
Phiyega said at the time that she became aware of the charge against him after the media briefing following his appointment.
National police spokesperson Solomon Makgale declined to comment when asked if Phiyega had lied about not knowing about pending charges against Zuma.
Top cop withdrawn
At the time, Sapa reported that Zuma was withdrawn as the new Gauteng provincial commissioner by Phiyega. At the time she said she had not been aware of the criminal investigation against Zuma.
"I became aware of the court charges against Major General Zuma just after the media briefing today (on Saturday), she said adding that she immediately met with him to establish the facts.
She said he confirmed that he had appeared several times on charges of drunk driving.
Phiyega said Zuma had not informed the service of any pending criminal investigations against him.
She said that in May, all South African Police Service workers were advised to disclose whether or not they had any pending criminal investigations against them, failure to do so would be viewed as a serious misconduct.
Conviction not secured
However, as reported by Sapa and published by IOL in April this year, Zuma was acquitted on charges of drunken driving and resisting arrest by the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court.
Magistrate Reard Abrahams found the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Zuma was guilty and could therefore not secure a conviction.
Abrahams said on Tuesday that the two State witnesses, Road Traffic Inspectorate officers Luke Johanson and Karen Bishop, had given contradictory evidence, which the court found to be of material nature to the case.
Zuma had been charged with drunk driving, escaping from custody, defeating the ends of justice and failing to comply with the instructions of a traffic officer on December 19, 2008.
