Madlanga Commission examines vetting of public officials as World Bank expert Laura Pop testifies

The Madlanga Commission intensified scrutiny of how public officials are vetted and required to disclose their finances on Wednesday as anti-corruption and asset-recovery specialist Laura Pop took the stand.

Expert testimony on vetting systems

Pop, who works for the World Bank and collaborates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was expected to address systems designed to identify integrity risks among public officials.

Follow-up to JMPD internal-affairs revelations

Her appearance followed testimony by Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Head of Internal Affairs Superintendent Elmarie de Beer, who told the commission the previous day that investigators had uncovered alleged links between some officers and criminal syndicates.

De Beer also described intimidation of internal-affairs investigators and alleged operational manipulation within specialised units. She said internal investigations had identified a pattern of co-operation between certain JMPD members and outside criminal elements.

Units most frequently implicated

The commission heard that the Tactical Response Unit, Special Patrol Units and the K9 Unit were among the units most frequently implicated in reported misconduct.

Proceedings ongoing

The Madlanga Commission proceedings are underway.