Pretoria – The offices of the Acting National Police Commissioner and the Police Ministry have noted recent media reports about allegations labelled against the head of the Hawks Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza.
The Mail & Guardian reported on Friday, 29 January 2016 that the National Prosecuting Authority had requested that a closed fraud case against Lieutenant General Ntlemeza be reopened and fully investigated by its Polokwane counterparts, with the malicious report claiming that this could signal trouble for the National Head of the Hawks.
Based on one of the most sacred principles in the South African criminal justice system, holding that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty, it is expected that the prosecution must prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, each essential element of the crime against the alleged perpetrator.
Should there be any substance in the Mail & Guardian report, General Ntlemeza, as a law-abiding citizen, vows to give his full co-operation during the said investigation and allow the justice process to take its natural course. He has also undertaken that he will not be deterred by the negative and unfounded allegations which the Mail & Guardian have been peddling since last year, but will focus on leading the Hawks in ensuring professional delivery on its mandate, bringing the perpetrators of crime to justice, and making South Africa safer for all its citizens.
No further comments will be made regarding the matter.
