President suspends spy boss amid claims of corruption

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Inspector-General (IG) of Intelligence Imtiaz Fazel following damning testimony from witnesses at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria and Parliamentary ad hoc committee.

- RAPULA MOATSHE

Both inquiries have raised serious concerns about the integrity of crime intelligence in the country.

The Presidency announced Fazel's suspension on Wednesday night amid an investigation into his conduct, following alarming testimonies about corruption within the justice system.

He was appointed in 2022 and his contract as IG was only due to end in 2027.

The presidency announced that Ramaphosa's decision comes after Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence received a complaint on Fazel's conduct without specifying the nature of the alleged wrongdoing.

Fazel's suspension is with immediate effect, pending a probe into his conduct by the committee in line with Section 7(4) and 7(5) of the Intelligence Services Act.

Section 7(5) stipulates that the president can suspend the inspector-general if they being investigated, pending the outcome.