Cops accused of flouting laws by sourcing unlawful R6.9m donations | The Star

Corruption claims valued at about R6.9million have been levelled at the police, with the alleged approval of the national commissioner, for receiving “unlawful donations” for its annual Police Day event.

Internal documents, which The Star has seen, show how the national SAPS allegedly flouted its own laws and regulations when they approached and received gifts and sponsorship worth R6889401.65 from seven private-sector companies for the January event.

The alleged unlawful gifts included 10 smartphones from Huawei and 21 from MTN, worth a total of R244479, despite a November 2011 national instruction that the SAPS should “not accept any found, unclaimed or donated cellular phones”.

According to a national standing order within the police, “a member may not, without the permission of the commissioner, approach any business, firm or other financial institution for sponsorship for exhibitions, productions, competitions, tours and so on.”

An internal circular in October stated that written permission was mandatory “to confirm whether the companies (approached for sponsorship) do not have bids under consideration which may pose a risk to the service”.