MPs have instructed new national police commissioner Lt-Gen Khehla Sitole to terminate contracts awarded to Forensic Data Analysts (FDA), a firm accused of paying kickbacks to former acting commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, and those of other service providers suspected of impropriety.
Sitole took the hot seat in his first appearance in Parliament at a standing committee on public accounts sitting on Wednesday, during which MPs fired off questions about dubious contracts and administrative shortcomings in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
An Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation showed that the police awarded contracts to FDA for services, including the maintenance of SAPS torches at a cost of more than R200,000 a month.
Also at issue were images of FDA’s owner — former policeman Keith Keating — and supply chain management officials pictured at a trip to the trophy room of English football club Manchester United’s home stadium, Old Trafford.
Ipid and State Information Technology Agency (Sita) officials said they had been subjected to intimidation and threats over the investigations they were conducting into the nature of the relationship between SAPS and FDA.
The committee also had a go at the police for failing to get to grips with R5bn worth of contracts it awarded through dubious and improper contracts. Sitole told the committee that police would begin to get to grips with the challenge immediately.
"We will deal with anything that led to the violation of the law. We are in the process of turning the organisation on the right track and we have dismissed eight people to date.
"We have blacklisted four companies. There is one person we suspended," he said.
Members of Ipid and Sita acknowledged that they were subjected to intimidation and threats over the investigations into the shady relationship between SAPS and FDA.
Standing committee member for the DA Tim Brauteseth was incensed when the police delegation could not provide a comprehensive list of the owners and directors of FDA for the committee.
"That’s not good enough. Are you aware that there are allegations of impropriety between FDA, Sita and SAPS?
"Why don’t you know who all the directors of these companies are?" said Brauteseth.
Committee member for the ANC Vincent Smith urged the SAPS to terminate the contracts with FDA as the extensions and deviations they sought to procure from the firm were irrational and evidence suggested the relationship was improper.
Committee member for the Inkatha Freedom Party Mkhuleko Hlengwa said: "We have established that this contract was irregular, in November an extension was sought for the contract between Sita and FDA. Why was FDA not blacklisted after all that has happened?"
The SAPS will update the standing committee on Tuesday on the investigations into the matter. The investigations are being led by Ipid, which will be seeking assistance from the Hawks in probing the business relationship.
Ipid executive director Robert McBride said that he believed the appointment of Sitole as police commissioner would expedite the investigation and allow Ipid to conclude it without intimidation.
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