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Call for new Cele tender probe

The DA has called on the public protector to investigate new allegations of tender irregularities related to suspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele. This comes after Cele was accused of signing off on a multimillion-rand tender awarded to a KwaZulu-Natal businessman who allegedly showered officials with expensive gifts to approve the deal. According to the allegations, published in the Sunday Times, Thoshan Panday the owner of Goldcoast Trading, was awarded the tender to accommodate police officials during the 2010 World Cup.

In exchange for the R26-million tender, it is alleged that he plied top police officials with “free flights, a car, luxury 4x4 hire and college fees”. DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said the latest report should be seen in the context of ongoing attempts to discredit KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Johan Booysen, who is heading an investigation into other deals linked to Panday. She called for the implicated cops to be suspended. “This scandal is yet another example of why Bheki Cele cannot continue as head of the SAPS,” said Kohler Barnard. Meanwhile, the Sunday Tribune reported that President Jacob Zuma’s son, Edward, had allegedly tried to intervene in the current investigation against Panday.

It stated that Booysen had admitted that Edward Zuma had tried to persuade him to unfreeze a R15m payment to Panday, who was allegedly his business partner. According to the report Zuma said he was a silent partner in Panday’s business and he wanted the money to be released because he wanted his share of the dividends. Panday is under investigation for fraud and corruption related to alleged attempts to bribe Booysen with R2m to back-date an investigation report into a R60m accommodation tender.

Source: iol.co.za

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Call for new Cele tender probe

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