Staff Reporter
The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Friday confirmed the dismissal of suspended Major General Richard Shibiri, its former Component Head for Organised Crime, after an internal disciplinary process found him guilty of misconduct for conduct that brought the police service into disrepute.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said that Shibiri was dismissed after disciplinary proceedings conducted under police rules and “principles of procedural fairness”. She said the misconduct included “associating himself with a known criminal”.
SAPS did not identify the criminal in its statement, but Shibiri’s dismissal comes after months of evidence at the Madlanga Commission about his relationship with currently incarcerated Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, the attempted-murder accused tenderpreneur who has featured prominently in evidence about alleged criminal infiltration of law enforcement.
In March, the commission heard Shibiri had been in consistent communication with Matlala a week before Matlala’s arrest, despite earlier testimony that their communication was “minimal”.
Shibiri previously testified before the commission that Matlala had loaned him R70,000 to repair his son’s vehicle, and that the money had been repaid.
He also testified that he and Matlala were “friends”, but not the kind of friend “with whom we go out and go to parties together”. He admitted their proximity could create a negative perception.
This is a developing story.
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