[ad_1]
Jeremy Vearey, Western Cape Provincial Deputy Police Commissioner.
- Western Cape Police Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Vearey is facing misconduct charges for “degrading” posts on social media.
- Chief police officer Khehla Sitole has accused Vearey of discrediting the police and disrespecting them.
- This a week after Vearey represented his close ally, former Crime Intelligence chief Peter Jacobs, in a tense disciplinary hearing.
Western Cape Deputy Police Commissioner Major General Jeremy Vearey faces an internal misconduct investigation for social media posts “disrespecting” the authority of National Police Commissioner Gen. Khehla Sitole .
A notice of the investigation, compiled by Sitole on March 8 and obtained by News24, raised allegations of misconduct linked to Vearey’s presence on social media.
He said:
“You allegedly discredited the employer’s name by posting images and messages, and circulating them on social media …[The posts] they were intended to degrade the leadership of the South African Police Service and / or disrespect the authority of the national commissioner. “
The posts were reportedly released on February 16.
Vearey could not be reached for comment.
The Vearey move puts him on common ground with former Crime Intelligence chief Peter Jacobs, who was summarily demoted by Sitole last week.
READ | Crime Intelligence: The Night of the Long Knives Sees Peter Jacobs Fall
Sitole’s executive order, which has seen Jacobs diverted down to head the Police Inspection Division, adds to the spy chief’s turbulent claims that he is the victim of a purge because he had uncovered deep-seated corruption in the police. Criminal Intelligence; embezzlement that threatened to attract high-ranking police officers.
Jacobs’ shocking “redeployment” came the same day he was due to return to work after serving a three-month suspension after he and five other high-ranking officers were charged with misconduct for “illegal” use. from a secret bribery fund. finance Covid-19 personal protective equipment in the amount of 1.5 million rand.
Process
At the culmination of their suspension, officers faced an “expedited” disciplinary process, one that was ultimately stopped by an urgent request from the Labor Court scheduled to be heard tomorrow, backed by objections from Jacobs that the president, as well as his administrative assistants – He had no security clearance.
Commissioner of the National Police Khehla Sitole.
Vearey had served as Jacobs’ staff representative at the hearing.
Richard Mamabolo of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) confirmed that Vearey had received the misconduct notice and said the union would take action on his behalf.
Jacobs and Vearey are not unknown bedmates and are close allies, their history dates back to the fight against the apartheid regime in the armed wing of the ANC, Umkhonto weSizwe.
READ | More Blatant Attempts To Target Criminal Intelligence Chief And Lead Detective Revealed
In 2016, the two spearheaded the largest illicit firearms investigation in South African history, in which thousands of weapons intended for destruction were sold to the criminal underworld in the Western Cape.
The weapons, which were effectively stolen from the police by a corrupt police network, have been linked to more than 1,000 homicides.
As Jacobs and Vearey turned the union’s nuts, they were suddenly moved from their positions, a move that, in court documents, they claimed had been an effort to torpedo the investigation, under the banner of Project Impi.
Two years after they were transferred from their positions, the Labor Court ruled that their transfers had been illegal and ordered that they return to their positions. Jacobs was installed as Chief of Criminal Intelligence and Vearey took over in his current position.
Do you have any notice for our investigation unit? Send an email to [email protected]
