TimesLIVE reports that national crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Peter Jacobs and five other senior crime intelligence officers have lost a high court bid to have their suspensions overturned.  

Jacobs, Brig Albo Lombard, Col Isaac Walljee, Col Manogaran Gopal, Maj-Gen Maperemisa Lekalakala, and Col Bale Matamela were all suspended in December following allegations by the inspector-general of Intelligence of abuse last year of the secret service account to fraudulently procure personal protective equipment.  Instead of accepting their suspension — with full pay — pending an investigation and internal disciplinary process, the accused decided to take their employer, national commissioner Gen Kehla Sitole, to court claiming his decision to suspend them was unlawful.  They claimed he did not adhere to the Intelligence Services Oversight Act in taking the decision.  However, the Pretoria High Court found on Friday that not only was Sitole entitled to take action against his staff upon being made aware of their alleged misconduct, he was legally obligated to do so.  The judgment noted that the suspensions were clearly an interim measure to provide space for proper investigations.  In his responding affidavit, Sitole said the suspensions were necessary to prevent Jacobs and his fellow accused from interfering in the investigations.  The judge set aside the appeal and also ruled that the applicants must pay their own legal costs.  They were represented by the South African Policing Union (Sapu).

• Read the full original of the detailed report in the above regard by Aron Hyman at TimesLIVE

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