PRETORIA – National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has made a brief appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The police boss faces four counts of violating the Public Finance Management Act.
At the centre of it all is a controversial R360-million tender awarded to Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala.
The matter was postponed to 13 May where he will join Matlala and 12 other police officers in the dock. The 12 officers were arrested last month.
The NPA’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), said there were allegedly several irregularities during the award of the tender and collusion by some members of the police’s Bid Evaluation Committee and Matlala.
READ | Case against 'Cat' Matlala, co-accused postponed to May
Speaking after his court appearance, Masemola maintained his innocence.
“I did what I was supposed to do. I stopped the contract,” he said.
“I don’t think one should be here today, we should be fighting organised crime as a group, as a joined force, but things do happen, so here I am,” he said.
The top cop said he did not understand the State’s decision to make him join Matlala and the 12 others in the dock.
"He's alleged to have done corruption, I'm not charged with corruption, but I guess one doesn't have a choice," he added.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said IDAC has built a strong case against Masemola.
"IDAC did their investigations and with the evidence that they've got, they've got belief that it is prudent for it to come to court. They would not have brought it here to court if they did not believe that the cases was watertight."