The Public Protector (PP) has confirmed that it will be investigating Police Minister Bheki Cele’s trip to Paris to attend the Rugby World Cup last year after his assistant’s trip was allegedly funded by the State.
This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched a complaint with the Public Protector, saying Cele was in breach of the Executive Ethics Code.
Okkie Terblanche, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Police, said the Minister was funded by an unidentified “private company," and his assistant was financed by the South African taxpayer which costed over R400 000.
“As the DA has said many times before, not only was the trip itself clearly unrelated to the Minister’s official functions, but by dipping into the public purse to finance his assistant’s European getaway.”
The PP said it confirms that the matter is under investigation.
Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, says, “The developments from the PP office have been noted.”
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.za