Cele probe results out next week

Johannesburg - A probe by the Public Protector into a multimillion rand lease deal by national police commissioner General Bheki Cele will be released next week.

Oupa Segalwe, spokesperson for the Public Protector, said: "The Public Protector's report on an alleged South African Police Service lease agreement for the Middestad building in Pretoria will be released next week, on a date to be announced shortly."

The Public Protector's report was due to be released later this week, but Segalwe said it had been delayed at the request of the police to allow them to respond to the Public Protector's request for more information.

The Public Protector had asked for more information and comments following an interview with an additional witness and the receipt of comments from Treasury.

Segalwe did not say who the witness was.

Last year it was reported that Cele had agreed to a R500m lease agreement for the building in Pretoria with property tycoon Roux Shabangu, allegedly without following tender procedures.

Recent reports claimed the conclusions included that Cele's deal to relocate the police headquarters was illegal and should have been cancelled through an urgent high court application.

They also claimed that the deal contravened the constitution, the Public Finance Management Act and Treasury regulations and should not have been approved.

The probe into the deal is being conducted jointly by the Public Protector and the Special Investigating Unit.